Pride finish road trip with doubleheader split against Missouri Valley

MARSHALL, Mo. - Coming off of a tough Tuesday performance, the Clarke University softball team was able to salvage a win in their four-game road trip by splitting their Wednesday afternoon doubleheader against Missouri Valley College earning a 7-1 win before falling in the finale 6-1.

In the opener, the Pride jumped out in front early with three runs in both the top of the first and second innings as Kynadee Harris picked up right where she left off after a 2-for-2 game yesterday to drive in a pair with a single to right field before triggering a double steal during the next at bat as she stole second to draw a throw for Oakleigh Harman to steal home.

In the second, Taryn Hoffman drove in a run on a ball back to the pitcher that was thrown away, eventually leading to another two-RBI single, this time by Lauren Hefel to make the score 6-0 in favor of CU.

Those big innings provided plenty of run support for starting pitcher Meredith Gatto, who produced her third complete game of the season allowing an earned run on five hits with one walk and one strikeout to pick up her fourth win of the season.

Along with Harris and Hefel producing the two-RBI hits, Hannah Palzkill had a two-hit game while scoring a run, while Hoffman, Harman, Kaylie Holtam, Harlee Makue-Vasconcellos, Teal Transburg, Jenna Ulin, and Mya Durr all had a hit over the seven-inning game.

Unfortunately for the Pride, that offensive success didn't carry over into game two as they were only able to produce two hits and a single run as the two hits came from Alicia Amaya and Harman with Harman driving in Clarke's lone run in the finale in the second inning to give them a 1-0 lead.

Missouri Valley tied the game in the next half inning then used a five-run bottom of the fourth to jump on the lead and never give it back on their way to the 6-1 lead as they produced four hits, walked twice, had a batter get hit by a pitch, and another hitter reach on an error to produce their five runs.

Clarke softball will return home to finish out the week before heading back on the road for the weekend for a single day trip to play Culver-Stockton College in Canton, Mo. on Saturday, Apr. 11 for a doubleheader start of 1:00 p.m. CT.