Box Score 1 |
Box Score 2 MNU survived a tight Game 1 and exploded late in Game 2 to claim a double header sweep of Missouri Valley on Thursday. In the first game, Valley jumped out to a 2-0 lead after a 2-run homer in the top of the first. MNU cut into the lead in the bottom of the inning with a walk, passed ball, flyout, and RBI groundout.
Chelsey Streibich's 2-out RBI single in the third inning tied the game, but Valley scored in the top of the fifth to re-take the lead by 1. In the bottom of the fifth,
Kaity Wills doubled home
Lynsey Keith and scored one out later on a Streibich single to give MNU a 4-3 lead. Valley tied it with a 2-out RBI in the top of the sixth, but the Pioneers answered in the bottom of the inning.
Katie Williams led off with a double, and pinch hitter
Lorena Martinez's bunt was thrown down the right field line to bring home the go-ahead run. With 2 outs,
Stephanie Valenzuela drilled a solo homer to extend the lead, and MNU held on to win 6-4.
Taylor Pearcy picked up her 5th win in relief, and
Lynsey Keith (3-3, 3 R, 2B, BB),
Chelsey Streibich (2-3, 2 RBI),
Katie Williams (2-3, R, 2B), and Steph Valenzuela (1-3, R, HR, RBI) led the offense.
In Game 2,
Kaity Wills knocked her first MNU homer over the right field fence to give the Pioneers a 1-0 lead in the first inning, but she injured her leg in the top of the second and had to leave the game. Valley tied the game with a 2-out single in the third, and the game remained tied until the bottom of the fifth.
Lynsey Keith's RBI single broke the tie, and Wills' replacement
Jadalynn Cirillo drove home another run with a double before
Hayley Gately's triple put MNU up 5-1. A Streibich RBI groundout completed the scoring in the 5-run inning. In the bottom of the sixth, Keith brought home 2 runs with a double then moved to 3rd on a passed ball. An error scored Keith, and MNU won 9-1 via the mercy rule.
Megan Schwindler recorded the victory with 4 innings of 2-hit scoreless relief, and Keith (2-4, 2 R, 2B, 3 RBI), Wills (1-1, R, HR, RBI), Cirillo (1-3, R, 2B, RBI), Gately (2-3, R, 2B, 3B, RBI), and
Ana Tavarez (2-3, R, 2B) had big games at the plate.
MNU is 14-7 (7-2 HAAC). Up next is a single-game contest at home vs. Avila (8-22, 2-5) at 1:30. It is the Game 2 makeup from the rainout.
