The Westminster softball team swept Iowa Wesleyan University on Saturday afternoon to win the SLIAC Game of the Week. A walk-off home run ended game one an inning early, 10-2, and the Westminster Blue Jays went on to win game two, 13-6. The Blue Jays are currently on a five-game winning streak and hold a 7-3 conference record. On the season, they are 14-13.
Game One
The Blue Jays opened up game one with two runs scored in the bottom of the first. Junior Erica Burney hit a RBI single to bring sophomore Amber Tepen home, and junior Alyssa Johnson brought Burney home with a RBI double to center field.
In the top of the fourth inning, the Iowa Wesleyan Tigers scored a run with a RBI double.
In the bottom of the fourth with two outs and bases loaded, the Tiger's pitcher brought in two runs with a hit by pitch and a walk. Burney then hit a two RBI single to center field, and Johnson closed out the five run inning with a RBI single to left field. After four complete innings of play, the Blue Jays possessed a 7-1 lead.
The Tigers scored a run in the sixth inning with a RBI single to center field, bringing the score to 7-2.
In the bottom of the sixth, the Blue Jays had two runners on with two outs and Johnson up to the plate. Johnson smoked a walk-off three-run homer over the left field fence to end the game with a 10-2 final score.
Johnson went 3-for-4 from the plate with a home run and five RBI. Burney and Tepen each went 2-for-2 from the plate, and Burney added three RBI to the win.
Hahn (6-5) grabbed the complete game win in the circle. She struck out seven batters while facing 30 batters.
Game Two
The Blue Jays took a 1-0 lead in the second inning with a freshman Kaylin Calton fielder's choice RBI to score freshman Whitney Mitchhart, but the Tigers put up five in the third to go up 5-1.
In the bottom of the third, the Blue Jays took back the lead with five runs scored of their own. Tepen started the scoring with a RBI double to right field, bringing in sophomore Leah Holthaus. Junior Anne Baker scored on Burney's at bat, and Johnson hit a RBI single to score Tepen. Later in the inning, sophomore Kim Morrison hit a two RBI single to center to bring in sophomore Amelia Knipfel and Burney.
Baker hit a home run over the center field fence in the fourth inning to take a 7-5 lead.
Iowa Wesleyan scored one in the fifth to bring the game to 7-6, but the Blue Jays brought in six runs in the sixth inning to take a 13-6 advantage. Freshman Taylor Sechler started the scoring in the inning by stealing second. The ball was overthrown and she advanced to third and then home. Three batters later with two runners in scoring position, Tepen hit a two RBI single to right field. Burney followed with a RBI single to left center to score Tepen. With bases loaded for Hahn, she hit a RBI single to short to score Burney. Sechler brought in the final run of the inning with a RBI ground out.
The Blue Jay defense left two Tiger's runners stranded in the top of the seventh to win the game 13-6.
The Blue Jay offense recorded 14 hits. Johnson went 3-for-4 from the plate with one RBI. Baker, Tepen and Burney each recorded two hits.
Hahn (7-5) grabbed her second win of the day in the circle as she relieved sophomore Kat Cooper in the fourth inning. Hahn struck out two while facing 18 batters. Cooper pitched three innings and faced 15 batters.
The Blue Jays continue their conference season with a doubleheader at Greenville College on Monday, April 18, starting at 3:00 pm.
