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WICHITA, Kan. – Hali Walters (SO/Longmont, Colo.) pitched the Friends University Falcons to a 1-0 shutout victory in the first game over the Bethel College Threshers tonight (Apr. 3) at the Two Rivers Youth Complex. The Falcons then completed the sweep with an 8-2 win in the second game.
The opening tilt was a scoreless duel early on until the Falcons broke through in the third when Mackenzie Nichols (SR/Columbus, Ohio) finished a run of three straight singles to plate Shelby Belloni (SR/Denver, Colo. ) for the first run of the game.
Hali Walters was on her game from the outset, retiring 12 of the first 14 batters she faced with five strikeouts.
She then pitched out of her first jam by striking out her seventh batter to leave a pair of runners stranded in the fifth.
Walters finished her second one-hit, shutout victory of the season with 10 strikeouts, just one shy of her career-best mark. She was also aided by a spectacular snag against the fence in foul territory by catcher Kylie Fox (SR/Wichita, Kan. ) in the sixth inning.
The Falcons pounded out nine hits in the first game victory, led by two hits each by Nichols, Shelby Belloni and Savannah Jackson (FR/Ramona, Calif. ).
Madison McDowell also turned in a solid effort for Bethel in the circle, giving up just the one run and striking out five over six innings.
With the second game in a 2-2 gridlock, the Falcons produced three runs in the fifth to claim the lead for good.
Isabella Gonzalez (SR/Bakersfield, Calif.) started the frame by beating out an infield single and scoring the go-ahead run on a single by Fox.
MiKayla Keeling (SO/Topeka, Kan. ) later singled home a run and scored on a double by Nichols to extend the Falcon lead.
Ericka Baca (FR/Arlington, Texas) then helped the Falcons tack on a valuable insurance tally in the sixth by leading off with a single and scoring on a sacrifice fly by Belloni.
Friends wasn't through in the sixth and added two more runs when Davis singled in Hannah Lang (FR/Topeka, Kan. ) and Fox scored the eighth run on a wild pitch.
The Threshers wouldn't go down quietly and scored two runs in the seventh on a two-out, two-run double by Alexis Wilson. But Ashlyn Jacobs (SO/Wichita, Kan. ) induced a groundout to close out the win for Friends.
The Falcons also got on the board first in the nightcap as Fox reached on a fielder's choice, advanced to third on a double from Kat Davis (FR/Keller, Texas) and scored on a wild pitch.
Davis then recorded her second hit of the game, an RBI single to chase home Belloni for a two-run lead in the third.
After the Threshers picked up a run in the fourth, Lang threw out a runner at home in the fifth to keep the Falcons on top.
But Bethel managed to tie the score anyway on a two-out single by Wilson that made it 2-2.
Davis led the Falcons (13-14, 6-4 KCAC) with a career-high tying three hits, while Nichols recorded two more hits in the second game.
Jacobs pitched the final 2.1 innings to get credit for the win. She allowed one earned run on two hits. Alicia Dunagan (SR/Douglass, Kan.) started the second game for the Falcons and went 4.2 innings, giving up two earned runs with one strikeout.
Wilson went 3-of-4 for the Threshers (9-10, 5-5 KCAC) and drove in three runs.
The Falcons will next be at the University of Saint Mary on Saturday afternoon (Apr. 6), with a 1 pm start in Leavenworth, Kan.
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The opening tilt was a scoreless duel early on until the Falcons broke through in the third when Mackenzie Nichols (SR/Columbus, Ohio) finished a run of three straight singles to plate Shelby Belloni (SR/Denver, Colo. ) for the first run of the game.
Hali Walters was on her game from the outset, retiring 12 of the first 14 batters she faced with five strikeouts.
She then pitched out of her first jam by striking out her seventh batter to leave a pair of runners stranded in the fifth.
Walters finished her second one-hit, shutout victory of the season with 10 strikeouts, just one shy of her career-best mark. She was also aided by a spectacular snag against the fence in foul territory by catcher Kylie Fox (SR/Wichita, Kan. ) in the sixth inning.
The Falcons pounded out nine hits in the first game victory, led by two hits each by Nichols, Shelby Belloni and Savannah Jackson (FR/Ramona, Calif. ).
Madison McDowell also turned in a solid effort for Bethel in the circle, giving up just the one run and striking out five over six innings.
With the second game in a 2-2 gridlock, the Falcons produced three runs in the fifth to claim the lead for good.
Isabella Gonzalez (SR/Bakersfield, Calif.) started the frame by beating out an infield single and scoring the go-ahead run on a single by Fox.
MiKayla Keeling (SO/Topeka, Kan. ) later singled home a run and scored on a double by Nichols to extend the Falcon lead.
Ericka Baca (FR/Arlington, Texas) then helped the Falcons tack on a valuable insurance tally in the sixth by leading off with a single and scoring on a sacrifice fly by Belloni.
Friends wasn't through in the sixth and added two more runs when Davis singled in Hannah Lang (FR/Topeka, Kan. ) and Fox scored the eighth run on a wild pitch.
The Threshers wouldn't go down quietly and scored two runs in the seventh on a two-out, two-run double by Alexis Wilson. But Ashlyn Jacobs (SO/Wichita, Kan. ) induced a groundout to close out the win for Friends.
The Falcons also got on the board first in the nightcap as Fox reached on a fielder's choice, advanced to third on a double from Kat Davis (FR/Keller, Texas) and scored on a wild pitch.
Davis then recorded her second hit of the game, an RBI single to chase home Belloni for a two-run lead in the third.
After the Threshers picked up a run in the fourth, Lang threw out a runner at home in the fifth to keep the Falcons on top.
But Bethel managed to tie the score anyway on a two-out single by Wilson that made it 2-2.
Davis led the Falcons (13-14, 6-4 KCAC) with a career-high tying three hits, while Nichols recorded two more hits in the second game.
Jacobs pitched the final 2.1 innings to get credit for the win. She allowed one earned run on two hits. Alicia Dunagan (SR/Douglass, Kan.) started the second game for the Falcons and went 4.2 innings, giving up two earned runs with one strikeout.
Wilson went 3-of-4 for the Threshers (9-10, 5-5 KCAC) and drove in three runs.
The Falcons will next be at the University of Saint Mary on Saturday afternoon (Apr. 6), with a 1 pm start in Leavenworth, Kan.
Continue reading...