Box Score 1 |
Box Score 2 ST. LOUIS – [Game One Box Score] [Game Two Box Score] The 2015 season finally started for the Missouri Baptist softball program. Clarke University defeated the Spartans in both contests, 6-5 and 2-0.
Missouri Baptist out-hit the Crusaders in the first game, 12-8, but were slowed-down by four costly errors.
Junior short stop Kara Pochon led the Spartans with a three hits in four trips to the plate. She added an RBI.
Senior Corey Pitchford added two hits, a run scored, and a double in the contest.
Freshman Lexi Gray smacked two hits in three at-bats, adding an RBI and a sac bunt.
Junior Payton Anderson, who led the Spartans in 2014 with five homers, launched a solo blast in the 5th to the game at 4-4.
Sophomore Andrea Chessor tossed a complete game for MBU. She allowed six runs, two earned, on eight hits. Chessor tallied four strikeouts to just one walk on 120 pitches.
The Spartans took an early 1-0 lead in the first inning. Junior Mikala Torrence walked with one out and would later score on a Lexi Gray single through the left side.
Clarke answered with four runs on just one hit and four Spartan errors in the top of the second inning.
Missouri Baptist cut into the deficit in the bottom of the second. Freshman Pam Diaz, Pitchford, and Kelsey Snider smacked three consecutive singles to load the bases for Torrence. She sailed a sac fly to score Diaz to make the score 4-2. Pochon followed with a single to right-center to cut the deficit to 4-3.
In the bottom of the fifth inning, catcher Payton Anderson unloaded on a solo shot to left center to tie the contest at 4-4.
A leadoff single for the Crusaders set the table in the sixth inning. Chessor recorded two quick outs, but the Crusader runner moved all the way to third base. With two strikes on the leadoff hitter, the Clarke runner sprinted towards the plate on the throw back to the circle. The return throw to the plate was too late and the Crusaders had a 5-4 lead.
In the bottom half of the inning, Darrian Chrzanoski singled to third base to lead off the inning. She moved to second on a sac bunt by Diaz and scored on a double off the right centerfield wall off the bat of Pitchford.
Clarke answered once again with a run in the top of the seventh, setting up a dramatic finish.
The Spartans had just three outs to play with in its final at-bat. Pochon led off with a single to center, and moved to second on a fielding error by the center fielder. Anderson reached base on an intentional walk, setting up force outs. Gray moved the runners up a base with a sac bunt. With two outs, pitcher Andrea Chessor entered as the hitter. She lined a shot off the pitcher's glove, but right to the second baseman. That created a force out at second, ending the game.
In game two, the Spartans were limited to just six hits and zero runs in a 2-0 defeat.
Payton Anderson led the Spartans with two hits in two at-bats, adding a base on balls.
Corey Pitchford lined a double in her lone hit of the contest.
Senior Jena Trombley was outstanding in the circle for MBU. She surrendered just two earned runs on seven hits, while striking out nine hitters.
The Spartans had a chance to take a lead in the bottom of the third inning. After two quick outs, Kelsey Snider reached on a bunt hit, and moved to third on a Mikala Torrence single down the left field line. Torrence moved to second on the throw, setting up second and third for Pochon. Pochon laced a line drive to center, but the centerfielder was able to cover the necessary ground, ending the inning.
The only damage of the game came in the top of the fourth inning, when the Crusaders struck for two runs on three hits.
Missouri Baptist had another chance at sending runners across home plate, but could not capitalize on two fourth-inning hits.
Corey Pitchford smacked a two-out double down the left field line, but the Spartans could not find any two-out magic to score a run. The final fell in the Crusaders favor, 2-0.
The Spartans are scheduled to host Columbia tomorrow afternoon in the American Midwest Conference opener, but wet weather is expected. Stay tuned to www.mbuspartans.com for updated information.
