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Box Score 2 ST. LOUIS – [Game One Box] [Game Two Box] After dropping two close contests to begin the season, the Missouri Baptist softball team bounced back with a doubleheader split against NCAA Division II McKendree University. The Spartans won game one, 5-2, but dropped game two, 7-6.
Missouri Baptist (1-3) received an outstanding performance from freshman pitcher, Madison Calvert. The Cleburne, Texas native dominated the Bearcats for six complete innings, before running out of gas in the seventh. Calvert gave up just two runs over 6.2 innings of work to earn the victory. She gave up eight hits, struck out three, and walked just one batter.
Senior Jena Trombley needed just five pitches to earn the one-out save.
Senior Kelsey Snider recorded three of MBU's nine hits. She scored twice and added a stolen base.
Senior second baseman Corey Pitchford went 2-for-4 with a run scored, a double, a stolen base, and an RBI.
Junior centerfielder Deanna Peters smacked two hits in three at-bats. She added an RBI, a double, and a stolen base.
The top of the second inning did not begin well for the Spartans. Calvert hit the first batter, but catcher Payton Anderson tossed a missile to second to catch the runner stealing. The Bearcats followed with two hits, but Calvert worked out of the inning unscathed.
Missouri Baptist took a 1-0 lead in the bottom of the frame on a Deanna Peters single to left field, which plated Anderson.
The Spartans added another run in the bottom of the 4th inning after capitalizing on a Bearcat error. Mariah Randazzo score pinch-runner Jennifer Sparks on a double to right field.
In the bottom of the 5th inning, the Spartans plated two more runs. MBU loaded the bases after Snider singled, Pitchford singled, and Pochon reached on a walk. Anderson scored Snider on a sac fly to right field to give MBU a 3-0 lead. Alexis Gray followed with a single to center to score Pitchford to extend the lead to 4-0.
McKendree answered with one run on two two-out hits.
In the bottom of the 6th inning, Kelsey Snider ripped a two-out single down the right field line to get the momentum rolling. She promptly stole second base and would score on Pitchford's double to left-center.
The Bearcats plated their second run of the game in the top of the 7th inning, but senior Jena Trombley was able to close the game out on just five pitches. The Spartans earned the first victory of the season, 5-2.
In game two, the Spartans fell just one hit away from completing a massive comeback. Missouri Baptist trailed 7-0 heading into the bottom of the 4th inning, but chipped-away over the course of the final four innings.
Corey Pitchford spent the majority of game two on base. She cracked three hits in three at-bats and added a walk. Pitchford also scored a run and accounted for seven outs defensively, including a perfect double play ball.
Mariah Randazzo added two doubles and one RBI in the contest.
Kelsey Snider lined two hits with one being a triple. She added a run scored and a stolen base.
Freshman Nicole Hughes took the start in the circle. She allowed ten hits and seven runs over 3.1 innings of work. Sophomore Andrea Chessor relieved Hughes for 1.1 innings. She retired all four batters she faced, including two strikeouts.
McKendree got on the board for two runs in the third inning on three hits.
The Bearcats broke the game wide open with five runs in the fourth inning and took a 7-0 lead.
Missouri Baptist answered with one run in the bottom of the fourth inning. Anderson reached on an error and later scored on a double to deep left-center by Mariah Randazzo.
In the fifth inning, the Spartans plated two more runs on three hits and two McKendree errors. Snider lined a triple down the left field line and scored on an error by the visiting team. Andrea Chessor singled in her first at-bat of the season, which put runners on the corners with only one out. Gray scored when Anderson reached on an error. After five innings, the Spartans trailed 7-3.
Missouri Baptist made things interesting in the 7th inning. After Pam Diaz lined out to the pitcher to start the inning, Anderson reached on a four-pitch walk. Randazzo roped a double to left-center, which moved pinch-runner Darrian Chrzanoski to third. Pitchford followed with a single to left, scoring Chrzanoski, and cutting the deficit to 7-4. Kara Pochon entered as a pinch-hitter and quickly reached first on a walk to load the bases. Sierra Thompson pounded a single up the middle to score Randazzo and Pitchford. That cut the McKendree lead to just 7-6, but pinch-runner Deanna Peters was caught trying to advance to third on the throw to the plate. Instead of creating a sacrifice fly situation, the Spartans could not score the game-tying run and left two runners on base when the final out was made.
Although the Spartans scored three runs in the inning, the Bearcats were able to earn the doubleheader split with the 7-6 victory.
Missouri Baptist will host St. Mary-of-the-Woods in a doubleheader beginning just before 2 pm. With the threat of rain during the middle of the day, the two teams are working on adjusting the start of the games. Stay tuned to www.mbuspartans.com for updates.
