School Record Tied as Statesmen Take Game in Extra Innings

Sioux Center--The William Penn softball team again split two games against Great Plains Athletic Conference foes as it finished up its first weekend of play Saturday.

WPU (2-2) opened the day with a 5-2 loss to Midland and then rallied past host Dordt 7-6 in eight innings in the second outing.

Midland 5, WPU 2

The navy and gold, who were outhit 11-3, fell behind 3-0 in the second inning, but battled back into the contest with two runs in the top of the fourth.

Nayely Martinez (Sr., Carson, Calif., Business Management) led off the frame with a single and two batters later, Chelsey Huff (Jr., Douds, Iowa, Exercise Science) helped her own cause with another single.  Huff was then replaced on the base pads by pinchrunner Zoey Jones (Sr., Ottumwa, Iowa, Elementary Education).  Martinez eventually scored on a wild pitch, while Jones came around on a groundout to cut the deficit to 3-2.

Unfortunately, the Warriors tacked on two insurance runs in the fifth inning to cap the game's scoring.

Martinez guided the offense with two hits, including tallying a double.  A day after a one-hit shutout, Huff was knocked around a bit by MU.  In four innings, she allowed four runs on nine hits, while striking out one and walking a pair.

Karah Dunham (Sr., Weston, Mo., Human Services and Psychology) came in out of the bullpen and quieted Midland with one strikeout in two scoreless frames (two hits).

"Midland was just the better team today, but our squad kept battling and we used it as an opportunity to learn and get better," Head Coach Laura North said.

WPU 7, Dordt 6

WPU jumped out to a 2-0 lead in the bottom of the first inning as Peyton Naranjo (Fr., Ripon, Calif., Biology) singled home Martinez and Charley Geguzis (Sr., Williamsburg, Iowa, Business Management) drove home Laila Smith (Fr., Olympia, Wash., Elementary Education) on another single.

The Defenders answered with one run in both the second and third frames, but the navy and gold recaptured the edge with a pair of tallies in the bottom of the third.  Naranjo started the sequence with a single and moved to third on another single by Geguzis, who followed that up with a stolen base.

Tori Smith (Fr., Olympia, Wash., Secondary Education) put WPU back on top with a one-bagger to plate Naranjo, while Alexis Price (So., Oskaloosa, Iowa, Elementary Education) singled in Geguzis.

Three scoreless frames ensued before Dordt claimed its first lead with a four-run seventh inning, putting all the pressure on the Statesmen.

The trio of Naranjo, Geguzis, and Price again produced, though, as WPU fought back and forced extras.  Naranjo managed a leadoff single, while Geguzis walked.  The duo were then driven in on a double by Price.

Price advanced to third, but the game-winning run was stranded as William Penn headed to the eighth inning for the second day in a row.  Unlike Friday's result against Northwestern, however, WPU came out on top against the Defenders.

DU was shut out in the top half, while the Statesmen needed just one at-bat to put the game to rest.  Abby Wilson (Sr., Calgary, Alberta, Nursing) was placed on second to start the inning in the international tiebreaker and took third on a wild pitch.  She then touched home plate with the winning run via a single to left field by Martinez.

The senior's hit was her fifth of the contest, tying the school record for hits in a single game (since 1999).  It is the best single-game outing for WPU since 2010.

Martinez was not the only Statesmen that put bat to ball as the squad did it early and often with 17 total base knocks (10 for Dordt).  Naranjo and Price each recorded three hits, while Laila Smith contributed two more.  Geguzis tallied one base knock and drew one walk as well.

Three different hurlers toed the rubber in the game.  Emily Bryant (Sr., University Place, Wash., Nursing) was the most effective, going four frames in relief and permitting just two runs on five hits, while it was Huff who took the victory.  She gave up two runs on two hits in two innings, but also struck out three (one walk) for her second win of the campaign.

"Winning against Dordt in extra innings was super fun," North said.  "Having now been in two extra-inning games is valuable and we fortunately found a way to win today.  I think this weekend showed some possible personality in William Penn Softball--do not count us out."

Next Up: William Penn travels to Rosemont, Ill. Friday and Saturday to compete in the NAIA Leadoff Tournament hosted by Roosevelt.  On Friday, the Statesmen meet Roosevelt at 5:30 p.m. and Lawrence Tech at 8 p.m.