Marshall, Mo.–The William Penn softball team succumbed to a big inning by its host as it split a Heart of America Athletic Conference doubleheader with Missouri ValleyTuesday.

The Statesmen (12-17, 2-4 Heart) lost the opener 6-4 and won the nightcap 7-3.

Tabitha Scott (Fr., Placentia, Calif., Psychology) gave the navy and gold a 1-0 lead in the first by coming around on an error.

The Vikings (8-20, 4-6 Heart) answered with one run in the bottom half, but the visitors gained the lead back when Kayla Browning (Jr. Spring Valley, Calif., Biology) crossed home plate in the fourth.  Browning finished 3-for-4 as the Statesmen outhit Missouri Valley 9-5.

The advantage held until the bottom of the sixth. MVC took the lead for good on a two-out, three-run error.  The hosts added two more runs for a 6-2 edge.

WPU got two runs back in the seventh, but could not finish the rally.

Chyanne Koko (So., Waianae, Hawaii, Business Management) struck out three in four frames, while Elizabeth Whitaker (Jr., Azalea, Ore., Exercise Science) took the loss in relief, also striking out three with one walk in two innings.

Kodee Johnson (Jr., Stockton, Calif., General Mathematics) finished 2-for-4 in the setback.

MVC gained the early edge in the second game with one run in the first frame, but William Penn captured its first lead and never looked back with three runs in the third. Breann Robertson (Fr., Rainier, Wash., Human Services and Sociology) hit a triple and later scored, while Scott also had a hit and scored.  Jarrah Jensen (Jr., Blakesburg, Iowa, Physical Education) rounded the bases in the third as well.

Johnson made it 4-2 in the fifth when she scored on a Koko single.  Two sixth-inning runs were then plated on a single by Johnson, while Koko finished off the day’s scoring in the seventh via a Browning one-bagger.

The Statesmen owned an 11-7 mark in hits with Koko going 3-for-4 (two RBIs) and Johnson ending up 2-for-4 (three RBIs).

Scott improved to 3-2 with one strikeout in a four-inning start.  Whitaker notched two additional Ks for a three-inning save.

“We continue to make costly mistakes at inopportune times,” Head Coach Mike Christner said.

Next Up: William Penn travels to Cedar Rapids Thursday to face Mount Mercy in a non-conference doubleheader at 5 p.m.

Story provided by Wade Steinlage