Pioneers Split With Park

The Basics
Game 1 Score: MNU 5 - Park 4
Game 2 Score: MNU 1 - Park 2 (8 inn)
Records: MNU (19-15, 6-4), PU (13-13, 3-6)
Location: Williams Field | Olathe, Kan.

OLATHE, Kan. - The Pioneers split a double header with Park on Friday. In Game 1, Park jumped out to a 3-0 lead in the top of the 2nd, but the Pioneers answered with a rally in the bottom of the inning. Robin Todd and Alli VanLanker started the inning with back-to-back doubles, and a 2-out 2-run double from Nyah Brown tied the game. Park took the lead again with run in the top of the 5th, but more 2-out magic turned the game around. With runners at first and second and 2 outs, Cordelia Hanger singled to center to tie the game, and the go-ahead run came home as Park threw the ball around. Starter Grace Berlage worked a scoreless 6th, and Mandy Brown escaped a leadoff double in the 7th to close it out and earn the save.

Game 1 Turning Point
MNU'S 2-run 5th turned a deficit into a lead.

Game 1 Individual Leaders
Grace Berlage struck out 3 in 6 innings for the win. Mandy Brown picked up the save with a scoreless 7th. And Cordelia Hanger (3-4, R, RBI), Nyah Brown (2-4, 2B, 2 RBI), Robin Todd (3-3, 2 R, 2 2B), and Alli VanLanker (2-3, R, 2B, RBI) had multi-hit games.

In Game 2, the offenses were stymied as the pitchers dominated. MNU managed a run in the 1st on a Kelly Stoakes RBI single, but that's all the Pioneers would get. Park was held off the scoreboard until 2 outs in the 7th, when a shallow popup barely trickled out of the diving outfielder's glove to tie the game at 1. The Pirates scored again in the top of the 8th, and MNU fell 2-1.

Game 2 Turning Point
Park's 2-out RBI hit in the 7th kept the game alive.

Game 2 Individual Leaders
Mykala Johnico struck out 5 in 8 innings in the loss. And Dez Duncan (2-3) had 2 hits.

Up Next
The next double header is Saturday at home vs. #3 Central Methodist (25-3, 6-0) at 1:00/3:00.