Pride split home finale against Mount Mercy

DUBUQUE, Iowa - Hosting a conference rival in their final home games of the 2026 season, the Clarke University softball team was able to produce a doubleheader split against Mount Mercy University with a 5-1 game two win following a 1-0 loss in the opener.

The Pride were able to outhit the Mustangs in the opener, including a 3-for-3 game from right fielder Lauren Hefel, but were unable to get a run across the plate with no runner getting past second base for CU all game.

MMU's lone run came from back-to-back hits to start the second inning when Ashley Smith led off with a single, stole second base, then Abbey Smith doubled her in from left center as the only blemish on starting pitcher Meredith Gatto's ledger as she went six innings to allow that lone run despite allowing four hits and four walks while also striking out four Mount Mercy hitters.

Gatto's counterpart, Ashley Webb, produced a complete game shutout where she allowed seven base runners with five hits and two walks given up, but she also punched out nine hitters over her 109-pitch outing.

In game two, it was the Pride who were able to jump out to a lead in the second inning when a Kaylie Holtam bases loaded at bat produced a pair of CU runs with a single down the left field line to score Kynadee Harris and Hannah Palzkill ahead of the Mustangs getting a run back in the top of the third against Emma Slayback.

Slayback matched Gatto's outing in terms of only allowing MMU to score a single run, but was able to pitch all seven innings in less than 90 pitches as she didn't walk a batter to keep that pitch count down, allowing six hits and striking out two batters.

Clarke got another crooked number inning offensively with three in the bottom of the fifth when Teal Transburg doubled home Hefel to start the score before Oakleigh Harman and Harris produced back-to-back singles, the second of which scoring Transburg off the bat of Harris, then with two outs Palzkill was able to drive in Harman to make the score 5-1, where it eventually ended.

Transburg, Harris and Palzkill each ended with multi-hit games in the finale with Transburg going 3-for-4, Palzkill going 3-for-3, and Harris going 2-for-3 for eight of the team's 11 hits in game two.

Pride softball will wrap up 2026 on the road with a pair of very important doubleheaders on Apr. 24-25 starting on Friday with a pair of games in Oskaloosa, Iowa against William Penn University before heading to Des Moines, Iowa on Saturday to face Grand View University, both day's doubleheaders slated to start at 1:00 p.m. CT.