Fulton, MO 4/24/2023- The Westminster College softball team hosted the Greenville University Panthers for a Monday afternoon doubleheader. The Panthers would hit two home runs in game one to win 3-0. In game two, the Blue Jays would rally from being down 3-0 and score four runs in the bottom of the sixth inning to win the game 4-3.
Game One: Box Score
Haley Miller (O'Fallon, MO / Liberty) got the start in game one, she would throw a complete game three-hitter and struck out two batters. Unfortunately, those two hits would come in the form of home runs for Greenville in the top of the sixth inning to give them a 3-0 lead.
The Blue Jays would start the game with Maddie Marrero (Columbia, Mo. / Rock Bridge) drawing a lead-off walk. Emily Esquivel (San Diego, Ca. / Eastlake) would single to put runners on first and second with no outs in the inning. Westminster would be unable to bring them in. The Jays would threaten to score once again in the bottom of the sixth with Marrero reaching on an error to start the inning. She would steal second base as well. Esquivel would hit an infield single to put runners on the corners with no outs. Esquivel would steal second base as well. The Blue Jays would once again be unable to bring a run in.
Eva Gannon (Wentzville, Mo. / Holt) looked to start a seventh-inning rally with the Blue Jays down 3-0 in the bottom of the seventh. Gannon would rope a lead-off single to center field. Kennedy Grimsley (Bowling Green, MO / Bowling Green) would come in to pinch run. Payton Dudenhoeffer (Jefferson City, MO / Helias Catholic) would lay down a sacrifice bunt to move Grimsley up to second base. Madelynn Kordik (St. Louis, MO / Mehlville) would pinch hit and draw a walk, and put runners on the corners as Grimsley moved up to third base on a wild pitch. Westminster would be unable to bring them home and lost the game 3-0.
Game Two: Box Score
Caroline Bentley (Bakersfield, MO / Bakersfield) started on the mound in game two, she would pitch two innings, striking out one and giving up one run on one hit and walking one batter. The Panthers would hit a home run in the top of the first inning to take an early 1-0 lead. Miller would come into the game in the third inning and pitch the rest of the way. Greenville would score a run in the top of the third and another one in the top of the fifth inning to take a 3-0 lead in the later stages of the game.
The Blue Jays would rally in the bottom of the sixth with Esquivel drawing a lead off walk. Raigan McKee (Oologah, OK / Oologah) would then double to left center field to put runners on second and third and no outs in the inning. Raegen Dickinson (Ozark, MO / Ozark) would bring life to the Blue Jay fans in attendance with a single to left field scoring Esquivel and getting Westminster on the board. The crowd would then erupt as Haylee Chandler (Bowling Green, MO / Bowling Green) smoked a hit down the left field line for a double and scored McKee with runners still on second and third with no outs. Gannon would get the ball in play, reaching on a fielder's choice and bringing in the game-tying run to make it 3-3 with still no outs and a runner on the corners. Kelsey Logan (Fulton, MO/ South Callaway) would bring in the go-ahead run to give the Jays a 4-3 lead.
Greenville would get a runner on first with a one-out single but then would hit back-to-back pop-outs to give Westminster the 4-3 victory.
Miller would pitch five innings, striking out two batters and throwing 68 pitches after already 74 pitches in game one. She would pick up her second win of the season in what must be described as a heroic performance by the sophomore pitcher.
The Blue Jays improved to 3-29 overall on the season and 3-8 in the SLIAC. Greenville moves to 16-11 on the year and 6-3 in the conference.
Westminster will be back in action on Wednesday when they travel to St. Louis to take on Webster University in a doubleheader scheduled for 3:00 PM
