CARLINVILLE, Ill. – The W softball played a Sunday St. Louis Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (SLIAC) doubleheader at Blackburn College, with a split result in two extra-inning games. The Owls (16-13, 11-3 SLIAC) won the opener, 3-2, in nine innings, before dropping game two to the Beavers (17-19, 3-9 SLIAC), 7-6, in eight innings.
In game one, senior
Kaitlyn Bearley's RBI single in the fourth plated
Addison Owen to give MUW the early lead. But GU pushed across a single run in the home half of the sixth. That 1-1 score stood through he eighth frame of the pitcher's duel.
In the top of the ninth, Maison York was the placed runner on second for the tiebreaker. Owen reached on an error at third by the Beavers, putting runners on the corners. That brought
Brianna Byrd to the plate.
Byrd laid down a bunt single. But Blackburn's defense went astray with a throwing error at first and a fielding error at third, with the net result of both York and Owen scoring unearned runs to give MUW a 3-1 advantage.
The Beavers fought back for a run in their half of the ninth for the 3-2 final score.
Designated player
Brooklyn Rhodes went 3-or-4, with a double, to account or the bulk of MUW's five hits in the game.
Freshman
Trinity Garvin got the complete-game win to improve to 6-3 on the year. Garvin scattered six hits in giving up the two runs, just one of which was earned. She struck out eight Beavers and walked none.
In game two, Owen's RBI single in the first gave The W another quick lead. However, the Beavers got to Owls' pitchers Rhodes and
Rachel Etheridge for six runs in the third inning.
The W answered with three runs in the fifth, the big blow being a two-RBI double by Owen. An unearned run in the sixth tightened the score to 6-5. Then, in the seventh, MUW's Owen came through again, slugging a one-out, solo home run to knot matters at 6-6 and send the game into extra innings.
But MUW would go coreless in the top of the eighth. In the bottom of the inning, a sacrifice bunt advanced Blackburn's runner at second over to third. An MUW fielding error allowed the walk-off run to score, 7-6.
Owen finished the game going 4-for-4, with two double, the homer, and four RBI. Teammate Garvin also had a multi-hit game, at 2-for-4 and a run scored.
Rhodes (5-6) took the loss from the circle. In her combined 4.0 innings, she struck out four and walked just one.
