MARSHALL, Mo. – No. 8 Missouri Baptist University softball claimed the program's first Heart of America Athletic Conference Championship with a pair of wins over Missouri Valley College on Friday afternoon.
The Spartans clinch the top seed in the Heart Tournament beginning on Friday, May 1, at Mount Mercy University in Cedar Rapids, Iowa.
They additionally punched the conference's first automatic qualifier into the NAIA National Tournament. The NAIA Opening Round will be hosted at selected sites and begins on Monday, May 11.
In game two,
Allison Leigraf slugged her 13
th home run of the season to set the program's single-season record. She now leads the conference in both home runs (13) and RBI (55)
Game One Recap
Brooklynn Fischer started the game with a bang, with home runs in her first two at-bats. In the first inning, she slugged a 1-0 offering from Aaralynn Ranck to right field. She followed up with a solo home run in the third to make it 3-0.
Alohilani Bursey and
Camryn Kessler added on in the third inning with RBI infield singles to the shortstop to extend the lead to 5-0.
Fischer blasted her third home run of the game in the fourth, this time to left field, plating
Makayla Johnson.
Jacie Dees added another run in the seventh to cap off the scoring at 8-0.
Kaylie Brake got the ball in the circle for game one and shut out the Vikings to the tune of six hits and three walks with four strikeouts. She improved her record to 22-3 overall.
Winning Pitcher: Kaylie Brake (22-3)
Losing Pitcher: Aaralynn Ranck (0-2)
Batting Leaders
Brooklynn Fischer: 3-for-3, 3 HR, 5 RBI
Camryn Kessler: 2-for-4, RBI
Game Two Recap
Bursey had MBU out in front early again in game two with an RBI double to center, scoring Dees. Bursey then scored on Kessler's RBI double as part of a three-RBI performance from the first baseman.
Leading 3-0 in the fifth,
Allison Leigraf slugged a two-run home run, her 13
th of the season, to become the program's new single-season home run leader, surpassing Kolby Brake (2022) and Payton Anderson (2015).
Miranda Ladson clubbed a home run of her own after working the count full in the sixth, before Kessler followed up with a two-RBI double in the seventh.
Aliviah Fischer plated a ninth run with a single to center.
Fischer went the distance in game two in her first start in a week. She allowed only two hits and no runs with six strikeouts over seven innings and 73 pitches. She improved to 13-3 overall and lowered her ERA to 2.58.
Winning Pitcher: Brooklynn Fischer (13-3)
Losing Pitcher: Chloe Shuff (5-12)
Batting Leaders
Allison Leigraf: 1-for-3, HR, 2 RBI
Camryn Kessler: 2-for-4, 2 2B, 3 RBI, R
Miranda Ladson: 1-for-4, HR, RBI
Records:
No. 8 Missouri Baptist: 37-8, 23-3 Heart
Missouri Valley: 7-37, 4-22 Heart
What's Next?
MBU wraps up the schedule on Saturday, April 25, with a 2 p.m. doubleheader start at William Woods University in Fulton, Mo.
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