Statesmen Go .500 During Spring Break Week

Melbourne/Viera Fla.--The William Penn softball team faced off against some tough competition as it played eight games during its spring break trip to the Sunshine State.

The Statesmen (7-13) opened up with a shaky start last Sunday, losing to Florida National 11-1 (5 innings) and to Indiana Tech 4-0.

WPU picked up its first win of the trip Monday, 2-1 over Concordia (Mich.), but was then defeated 16-1 by Ave Maria (Fla.) (5 innings) later in the day.  Tuesday then featured a 4-3, eight-inning victory over Indiana South Bend and a 5-0 loss to Missouri Baptist.

William Penn ended the trip with two wins, defeating Hannibal-LaGrange 13-3 (6 innings) and Dallas Christian 9-0 (5 innings) to end the week with a 4-4 record.

Florida National 11, WPU 1

The Statesmen scattered eight hits in the setback.  Chelsey Huff (So., Douds, Iowa, Exercise Science) led the team with two hits and an RBI, driving in Valeria Quiroga (Sr., Brownsville, Texas, Sociology).

Indiana Tech 4, WPU 0

Indiana Tech (13-2) held WPU scoreless as the navy and gold recorded just three hits. Ashton Brown (Jr., Ottumwa, Iowa, Mechanical Engineering) was saddled with the loss after pitching 4 2/3 innings.

WPU 2, Concordia 1

The victors recorded 12 hits, including a squad-best three from Huff and Quiroga.  Quiroga got things going early, scoring Abby Wilson (Sr., Calgary, Alberta, Biology) on a single up the middle.  Allyson Stewart (Sr., Delta, B.C., Nursing) extended that lead by driving in Sarah Gallivan (Sr., Round Lake, Ill., Secondary Education) with the game-winning run home.

Emily Bryant (Jr., University Place, Wash., Nursing) took the win with two strikeouts and only one earned run.

Ave Maria 16, WPU 1

William Penn recorded four hits with Charley Geguzis (Jr., Williamsburg, Iowa, Business Management) knocking home Wilson for WPU's lone run.

WPU 4, Indiana South Bend 3

The Statesmen scored its first run on a bases-loaded walk by Lexi De Leon (Fr., San Pedro, Calif. Biology).  IUSB answered with two runs in the top of the second, but in the bottom of the third, De Leon reached on an error, allowing Huff and Quiroga to score, making it 3-2.

Indiana South Bend tied it back up at 3-3 in the fifth inning, but Amber Shotts (Fr., Ottumwa, Iowa, Mathematics) singled to score Huff and win it for the Statesmen in walk-off fashion.

Huff went the distance for the win, striking out six while not permitting an earned run.  The Statesmen won despite only tallying four hits; Huff led the team with two base knocks.
 
Missouri Baptist 5, WPU 0

WPU was outhit 7-4 with Quiroga tallying three of her team's hits.

WPU 13, Hannibal LaGrange 3

The William Penn offense erupted against the Trojans, scoring 13 runs off of 14 hits.

Geguzis paced the Statesmen with three hits and three runs, while Quiroga led the victors with four RBIs.

Bryant tripled to left, scoring three to start off the first inning, while Quiroga produced a two-run double in the second.  Stewart later drove in Quiroga with a single up the middle.

The sixth inning was a big one for the victors as they scored four runs, headlined by a double from Quiroga, a single from Stewart, and a two-run double from Nayely Martinez (Jr., Carson, Calif., Business Management).

Huff earned the win, striking out five while allowing six hits.

WPU 9, Dallas Christian 0

Finishing the week strong, William Penn recorded 11 hits in the last game of the trip.  The navy and gold also did not strike out in the win.

Stewart recorded a team-high three hits in the contest, while Wilson, Huff, and Martinez each had two of their own.

The Statesmen did all of their damage in the first three innings, and Bryant received the win, allowing just three hits and striking out one.

Next Up: WPU starts Heart of America Athletic Conference play next Wednesday, hosting Culver-Stockton in a doubleheader beginning at 4 p.m.