Taylor Ryal hit 2 homers and Ashley Salter added a grand slam in MNU's double header sweep of Graceland on Wednesday. In Game 1, Salter's 2-out RBI single in the bottom of the first gave the Pioneers a lead they would not relinquish. The score remained 1-0 until the bottom of the fifth when Taylor Ryal put the game out of reach. With 2 outs, Chelsea Bapst singled and Jen Costa walked. Ryal worked a full count then drilled her 3rd homer of the season over the center field fence for a 4-0 lead. Jen Costa allowed 3 hits and struck out 12 in a complete game shutout, and Bapst (1-2, R, BB), Costa (1-2, R, 2B, BB), Ryal (1-2, R, HR, 3 RBI, BB), and Salter (1-2, RBI, BB) had MNU's 4 hits.
In Game 2, the Pioneers jumped all over Graceland and won via the 8-run rule. In the first inning, MNU scored on a passed ball, then Taylor Ryal hit her second home run of the day to put the Pioneers up 3-0. In the second inning, the Pioneers loaded the bases with 2 outs. Ashley Salter then nailed a grand slam to center to blow the game open. Annie Duffner tripled and scored in the third inning to put MNU up 8-0, and Kayla Harris, Jordan Payne, and Jessica Hull combined for the 5-inning shutout. Jen Costa (2-2, 2 R, BB, 2 SB), Taylor Ryal (2-2, 2 R, HR, 2 RBI, BB), and Ashley Salter (1-2, R, HR, 4 RBI, BB) led the offense.
The Pioneers are 17-4 (4-0 HAAC). The next game is a double header at Evangel (14-3, 2-0) on Saturday at 1:00.
Game 1 Box and Play by Play | Game 2 Box and Play by Play
