[Softball] Softball Falcons power up in sweep over Missouri Valley
WICHITA, Kan. – Trailing 6-0 early in the first game, the Friends University Falcons called on their power bats to mount a rally and take the opening tilt 11-8 before finishing the sweep over the Missouri Valley College Vikings with a 7-3 win in the nightcap today (Mar. 5) at Two Rivers Youth Complex.
Sydnee Weber did the bulk of the damage in giving the Vikings the early lead with an RBI double in the first and then a three-run homer in the second inning.
The Falcons would start to chip away in the bottom of the second with an RBI single by Becca Dunn (SO/Jurupa Valley, Calif. ) and a two-run double by Laila Spracklen (SR/San Diego, Calif. ) in the third that cut the six-run deficit in half.
After the Falcons put across two more runs in the third frame, Vanessa Sigala (JR/Carson, Calif. ) unloaded her second homer of the weekend to tie the score in the fourth.
Another RBI double by Spracklen and a run-scoring single from Priscilla Mora (SO/Beaumont, Calif. ) put the Falcons in front ahead of Becca Dunn's first career homer, a three-run blast that capped 11 unanswered runs by Friends.
Weber drove in two more runs with a double in the sixth, but facing the potential tying run at the plate in the seventh, Spracklen tightened up and induced a ground out to preserve the victory.
In addition to her first career homer, Dunn had two hits and drove in a career-best five runs in the first game win for the Falcons. Spracklen also recorded two hits and three RBIs, with Sigala, Aleigha Gale (JR/Winfield, Kan. ) and Carolyn Dallimore (SR/Patterson, Calif. ) also recording a pair of hits.
After allowing six runs through the first two innings, Spracklen settled in nicely and allowed just one earned run the rest of the way with eight strikeouts and no walks.
Weber paced the Vikings with three hits and five RBIs, with Aidee Mendoza hitting a two-run homer in the second.
The Vikings again grabbed an early edge in the second game on a solo homer by Viviana Gamez in the first, only to have Dallimore one-up that with a two-run blast in the bottom of the inning.
Makenna Mitchell (SR/Orange County, Calif. ) stretched the Friends lead with an RBI single in the second and a sacrifice fly by Mora in the third answered an RBI single by Aidee Mendoza and kept the Falcon lead at two runs.
The Falcons (6-4) would then capitalize on four Missouri Valley errors over the next two innings to tack on three more runs and put it away.
Dallimore and Dunn had two more hits to fuel the Falcon second game offensive attack, while Gamez and Chrisha Gray each produced two hits for the Vikings (6-6).
Isabelle Schwien (JR/Denver, Colo. ) turned in a solid outing in the circle for the Falcons, lasting the full seven innings and giving up just two earned runs along with a pair of strikeouts and one walk.
The Falcons are next scheduled to host Morningside University Thursday afternoon (Mar. 9) starting at 3 pm.