Statesmen part ways with Ravens at neutral site | Sports

OSKALOOSA — Forced to play across the tracks for the first time in years, William Penn’s softball team won 1-1 over Benedictine in a Heart of America Athletic Conference doubleheader on Saturday.

WPU (12-10, 5-3 Heart) won the opener 3-1, but dropped the nightcap 5-4. The games were moved to the Lacey Recreation Complex due to unplayable conditions at Penn Field.

Disregarding new haunts, Valeria Quiroga (Jr., Brownsville, TX, Sociology) put her team on the board first with a brace to score Abby Wilson (Jr., Calgary, AB, Biology) late in the first period.

The Ravens responded to that run in the top of the third, but Nayely Martinez (So., Carson, Calif.) gave the Navy and Gold the lead for good by drawing a goal-laden walk in the bottom half.

Lexi Resa (Sr., Liberty, Mo., Biology) then added an insurance run in the fourth with a single to plate Carla La Rosa (Jr., Las Vegas, Nev., Business Management).

The hosts overcame four errors as they beat BC 6-5. Resa and Brianna Talamantes (Fr., San Pedro, Calif., Business Management) both recorded two hits, while Quiroga added a walk to her double. Martinez and Allyson Stewart (Jr., Delta, BC, Nursing) also walked a pair.

All that was enough for Peyton Parker (Sr., LaPorte City, Iowa, Sports Management), who dominated the circle. The eldest worked six innings, allowing just one unearned run on five hits, while striking out two. Bianca Castillo (Jr., Rio Rico, Arizona) threw a scoreless seventh frame to earn the stoppage.

WPU again drew initial blood in the second contest by taking advantage of Benedictine errors (BC had four total in the contest). Wilson and Resa hit home plate for a 2-0 advantage after a frame.

Unfortunately, the Ravens recorded four runs in the third in the third, including a scoring triple. Martinez’s groundout allowed Charley Geguzis (So., Williamsburg, Iowa) to score and after the third inning the Statesmen were down just 4-3.

Quiroga’s second brace of the day netted Wilson in the fourth to tie the score at 4-4. The tie would persist until the seventh and final innings, but BC went ahead for good on a home run. William Penn put a runner on base in the bottom half but couldn’t find the equalizer and was forced to accept a split that day.

Lost 7-4, the Statesmen remained close since they only committed two errors, against four for the Ravens. Stewart finished with two base hits, while Wilson had a hit and two walks.

Ashton Brown (So., Ottumwa, Iowa, mechanical genius) entered the game third and performed well in relief, allowing just one run on four hits in 4 2/3 innings. She struck out two batters to walk two, but struggled with the loss.