Entering Sunday’s Midwest Collegiate Conference doubleheader against Viterbo, the William Penn softball team had an outside chance of rallying for the league title.
Unfortunately, those hopes took a big hit as the Statesmen (16-25, 9-7 MCC) split with Viterbo, winning 12-3 (5 innings) and falling 12-7. With just eight games left in their MCC slate, the navy and gold are five games back of first-place Grand View (15-3). The squad is still in good position to host a first-round game in the league tournament, sitting four games up on fifth-place AIB (seeds 2-4 host seeds 5-7 in one game on April 30).
The visitors wasted little time in jumping all over the V-Hawks (5-30, 3-16 MCC), scoring six runs in the second inning of the opener. WPU took advantage of a two-out error to tally five unearned runs.
Two more runs came across in the third as pitcher Brittanee Grove helped out her own cause with a two-run double.
Marissa Pereyra drove in two on a fourth-inning home run and Grove matched her with her own two-run bomb in the fifth. William Penn outhit Viterbo 13-5 and was assisted by four fielding mistakes by the home team.
Grove finished 3-for-4 with five RBIs and two runs scored; the home run is the second of the year for the senior. Pereyra, who was 2-for-2 (2 RBI, 2 R), left the park for the first time this season.
Ashlee Dennis was 2-for-3 (2 R), while Bri Zerley managed a 2-for-4 effort. Jorden Steele and Sydney Edwards scored twice in the victory.
Grove was touched up a bit late, but her run support easily made up the difference. The southpaw (9-6) permitted two earned runs, while striking out two and walking two.
The plate success became contagious in the nightcap with the two sides combining for 24 hits (13-11 WPU). Unfortunately, it was Viterbo which caught a stronger strain of the bug. The hosts scored three times in the first, four in the second, and three more in the third to pull out to a sizeable margin.
WPU tried to keep pace, coming up with three runs in the second and two more in the third. Zerley sent her team-leading sixth homer over the fence in the second, while Edwards and Brooklyn Bantz each had RBI singles. The lone error of the game helped the visitors to both of their marks in the third.
Steele then powered through an offering in the sixth, recording her fifth home run of the campaign, but the rally fell short. Taylor Vernon had a 3-for-4 outing, while Edwards was 2-for-3 and Pereyra was 2-for-4. Steele finished with two RBIs and Zerley touched home plate twice.
Lack of command by WPU’s two hurlers doomed the Statesmen as Viterbo drew nine walks in the game.
Next Up: William Penn returns to Oskaloosa Tuesday to host St. Ambrose in an MCC doubleheader beginning at 4 p.m.
