PERU, NEB — The William Penn softball team put a bow on the season as well as the coaching career of its skipper with a sweep of Peru State in Heart of America Athletic Conference action Saturday.
WPU (19-29, 11-25 Heart) won by scores of 6-1 and 8-3. Head Coach Mike Christner finishes his 22nd and final campaign at the helm with a 693-499 career record.
Valeria Quiroga (Sr., Brownsville, Texas, Sociology) drove in the day’s first run with first-inning single to plate Abby Wilson (Sr., Calgary, Alberta, Biology). Amber Shotts (Fr., Ottumwa, Iowa, Mathematics) added another single in the first to score Quiroga.
The visitors tacked on one run in the second as Allyson Stewart (Sr., Delta, B.C., Nursing) grounded out, but Charley Geguzis (Jr., Williamsburg, Iowa, Business Management) came around on the play to make it 3-0.
The Bobcats (7-37, 4-22 Heart) cut into the deficit, though, with one tally in the fourth inning, but the navy and gold answered in the sixth. Chelsey Huff (So., Douds, Iowa, Exercise Science) singled home Wilson, while Sarah Gallivan (Sr., Round Lake, Ill., Secondary Education) brought in both Huff and pinchrunner Bailee Rinn (Fr., Omaha, Neb., Biology) on a one-bagger.
Gallivan, Shotts, and Wilson all managed a team-high two hits as William Penn posted an 11-4 edge in hits and also took advantage of three PSC errors. Huff pitched a complete game, allowing just one run on four hits, while striking out 10.
The victors picked right up where they left off in the opener as Huff singled in Wilson in the top of the first frame of the nightcap. Peru State answered back with one in the bottom of the second, but the visitors took the lead for good in the third inning. A groundout from Stewart allowed Shiloh Cunningham (Sr., Lynnville, Sully, Biology) to come across for the 2-1 edge, while Wilson also touched home plate on a wild pitch.
Kiana Young (Sr., Las Vegas, Nev., Exercise Science) then scored on a fourth-inning sacrifice fly by Gallivan. Gallivan also rounded the pads in the sixth via a base knock from Huff for a 5-1 William Penn advantage.
The Statesmen put the nightcap to rest with three final tallies in the seventh, headlined by a run-scoring single from Geguzis to score Quiroga. Peru State scored two inconsequential runs in the bottom of the seventh inning, but it was not enough to catch WPU.
Geguzis went 3-for-4 in the second contest, while Huff was 2-for-4 with three RBIs. Overall, the navy and gold outhit the Bobcats 7-5 and again did not commit an error (Peru State had four mistakes).
Emily Bryant (Jr., University Place, Wash., Nursing) pitched six innings of relief to record the victory. She permitted two runs on five hits, along with two strikeouts.
“It is great to send the seniors out on a winning note,” said Head Coach Mike Christner. “The team never quit and had a great last two weeks of the season. I am so proud of them. I wish all of the seniors good luck and hope everyone else has a good offseason.”
