–In its most impressive outings since the season-opening weekend, the Statesmen softball team swept #25 Grand View in a Midwest Collegiate Conference doubleheader Wednesday.

William Penn (15-24, 8-6 MCC) won by scores of 4-3 and 5-0. The wins are WPU’s third and fourth over a ranked foe this spring (first since early March).

It did not appear, at least through the first six innings, that Wednesday was going to be favorable for the navy and gold, though, as they trailed 3-1 entering their final at-bats.

The Vikings (25-10, 15-3 MCC) scored once in the first and twice more in the third, but the Statesmen narrowed the deficit with a run in the fifth. Jorden Steele came around on a single by Chelsee Herron to make it 3-1 going into the seventh.

The Statesmen offense, which had been limited to just three hits up to that juncture, then powered up in a big way. Bri Zerley led off with a solo home run (her fifth of 2015) and Taylor Vernon followed with a double. Steele then put her squad on top for the first time in the opener, clearing the fence with a two-run shot (#4 of the year).

Brittanee Grove only got stronger as the game wore on, closing it out with a perfect bottom of the seventh to improve to 8-6. The senior, who concluded the contest with 10 straight outs, permitted three runs on seven hits. She struck out five with just one walk.

Vernon and Steele each went 2-for-3 at the plate.

The momentum from the come-from-behind ‘W’ carried over into the nightcap. Steele doubled home Ashlee Dennis in the first and Sydney Edwards tagged up and scored on a flyout by Grove in the third.

A three-run fifth frame put WPU comfortably ahead. The inning was highlighted by RBI singles from Grove, Vernon, and Herron. Steele and Grove each had three base knocks as the Statesmen owned an 11-5 edge in that category.

Lunden Young worked out of bases-loaded situations in the second and fifth innings and was otherwise very effective in tossing her third shutout. The senior (6-10) struck out nine with five walks.

Next Up: William Penn travels to La Crosse, Wis. Sunday to face Viterbo in an MCC doubleheader beginning at 1 p.m.