[Softball] Playing for a Championship: Softball Falcons Advance to KCAC Title game with 3-1 win ...

Great Bend, Kan. – Now riding a seven game winning streak and 17 of 20 overall, this latest victory for the Friends University Falcons has clinched their first berth in the KCAC Championship since the 2013 season. The Falcons were victorious 3-1 over the No. 1-seeded Avila University Eagles today (May 4) at the KCAC Tournament in Great Bend, Kan.

The Falcons have now knocked off the top two seeds in the tourney after defeating second-seeded McPherson College 3-2 yesterday (May 3).

"We're just going to take it one pitch at a time, one inning at a time," Friends head coach Suzanne Unruh said. "This team is special!"

Once again, Hali Walters (SO/Longmont, Colo.) was dominant in the circle and made the pitches when it mattered.

With the Falcons clinging to a 2-1 lead and the Eagles getting consecutive singles to begin the sixth, Walters got a fielder's choice before Kylie Fox (SR/Wichita, Kan. ) made a big play by throwing out a runner at third on a double steal. 

Walters then extinguished the threat with a strikeout to end the inning and strand two runners.

Fox then came through at the plate with an RBI double that plated Isabella Gonzalez (SR/Bakersfield, Calif.) in the seventh for a big insurance tally.

In the bottom of the seventh, Walters made sure the lead would hold up by quickly retiring the Eagles in order to send the Falcons into the conference title game.

Gonzalez helped the Falcons get on the board early after drawing a leadoff walk and scoring on a sacrifice fly by Fox.

After the Eagles tied the score in the second on an RBI single by Sydney Gearhart, the Falcons effectively manufactured a run in the fourth when a sacrifice bunt by Cassie Jones (SR/Erie, Colo. ) set up a two-out run-scoring single by Renee Downey (JR/Modesto, Calif.) that chased home pinch runner Hunter Kincaid (SO/Aurora, Colo. ) and put Friends back on top.

Walters struck out five with one run allowed over seven innings for her KCAC-leading 18th victory of the season.

Shelby Belloni (SR/Denver, Colo. ) paced the Falcons with a pair of hits in three at-bats in the win.

Cierra McGee also had two hits for the Eagles, who will play later tonight at 7:30 pm in an elimination game against the winner of Tabor College and McPherson College.

The Falcons will play tomorrow (May 5) at 1 pm and by being the only undefeated team left in the bracket, will need just one win to capture the conference tournament championship. But the Falcons' opponent tomorrow must win twice to claim the title.