Park University softball split a double header on March 31 with Missouri Baptist University. The Pirates pulled out a victory in game one with a 4-3 win. The Pirates came up short in game two, losing to the Spartans 11-6. This comes after a sweep of Harris-Stowe State University with two wins that lasted only five innings.

In the top of the first inning Missouri Baptist started the game with one run scored by Ally Gischer on a batted ball. The Pirates responded with junior Kaylin Brooks scoring on a sacrifice fly by senior Shelby Bendure to center field. Senior Courtney Seymour came home on a single to left field by senior Annali Cleek. Senior Katie Carr also scored on a throw after Cleek make it to first safely.

The top of the second inning was quiet for the Spartans with Freshman Lexie Duncan earning a pair of strikeouts and fielding a ball and throwing out Meghan Mollet at first. In the bottom of the second inning Brooks doubled to left field and scored on a single by Carr.

In a two-out rally for the Spartans at the top of the third inning Gischer tripled to left center. Gischer was able to score when senior Olivia Atkinson dropped a pop fly allowing Jordan Corby to reach first. The Pirates stayed quiet at the bottom of the third leaving junior Hailey Costello stranded on third after she doubled and advanced to third on a bobble by Rachel Galbraith.

At the top of the fourth inning Spartan’s Baleigh Koester and Mollet both earned singles. Koester was given a pinch runner, Reily Kassay, who advanced to third on Mollet’s single to center field. She successfully stole home giving the Spartans their final run of the game. Mollet was caught stealing by Pirate’s junior catcher Madison Klein. Pirate pitcher Duncan struck out Erica Hixson to end the top of the fourth.

Park University held their 4-3 lead until the end giving them the win for game one.

Game two started with Missouri Baptist moving Gischer around the bases with a sacrifice squeeze by Corby, a ground out by Caitlin McNiff and a single to center field by Meagan Elder. Missouri Baptist kept Park quiet with a three up three down inning.

Park was able to keep the Spartans at bay during the top of the second inning stranding Miranda Brown on third base. During the bottom of the inning Cleek earn a two RBI single bringing in Bendure and junior Hailey Costello pulling the Pirates ahead of the Spartan’s 2-1. Any momentum Park had was squashed when Atkinson grounded into a double play.

Missouri Baptist was able to pull back ahead in the top of the third by scoring three runs for a 4-2 lead. During the bottom of the third after a single by Brooks, Missouri Baptist made a pitching change, bringing Ally Dunaway to relieve Delissa Dennison. Brooks was stranded on second after Seymour, Carr and Bendure were unable to reach base.

Park tried to inch back Missouri Baptist’s lead after keeping them scoreless in the top of the forth with one run scored by Costello on a single to center by Cleek. Both teams were scoreless in the fifth inning.

The top of the sixth started with Bendure giving up a walk to Koester. Rachel Galbraith executed a successful sacrifice squeeze to move Koester to second. Kassay singled to left and moved to second on the throw. Koester was able to move to third on the throw. Both Koester and Kassay scored on a single to left by Gischer, who advanced to second on the throw home. Gischer made it to third on a ground out by Corby and then score the Spartan’s third run of the inning by a single from McNiff to center field.

The Pirates tried again to bite at the Spartan’s lead with Costello scoring on Klein’s double to right center and then Klein scoring on Brook’s single to shallow right field. The Pirates were still down by two with the Spartans leading 7-5.

During the top of the seventh inning the Spartans earned two more runs before Pirate’s pitcher Bendure was relieved by junior Kendal Cox and moved to the designated player position. That didn’t slow down the Spartans however. Missouri Baptist’s Corby earned a two run RBI double to left center, bringing in Kassay and Gischer. Park made one last attempt to make a comeback with a double by Bendure deep down the right field line to bring in punch runner sophomore Mallory Hughson. Unfortunately, that was it for the Pirates and the game ended with Missouri Baptist Spartans’ scoring 11 runs to Park University Pirates 6.