[Softball] Lassley's Late Game Blast Propels Softball Falcons Past Jamestown

WICHITA, Kan. –Batting with one out in the bottom of the sixth after the University of Jamestown Jimmies had rallied for three runs to tie the score at 8-8, senior first baseman Kaylen Lassley (SR/Salina, Kan. ) unloaded the most clutch hit of her career, a two-run homer to put the Friends University Falcons on top by two runs. The Falcons held on from there for an 11-8 victory over the Jimmies on the final day of the Friends University Invitational at Two Rivers Youth Complex. The win gives the Falcons an overall record 4-3 in the three-day tourney.

"Going into this weekend, we knew playing seven games that we would all need to stay strong mentally!" said Friends head coach Suzanne Unruh. "And I believe we did just that by winning the last game of a three-day weekend against a team that run-ruled us the night before. This team has so much fight in them and they do it all for each other, which makes me proud!"

The Falcons weren't through in the sixth and got an RBI single from Meghan Low (JR/Collinsville, Okla.) that plated Lacee Travens (SO/Reno, Nev. ) for a valuable insurance tally.

Hali Walters (SR/Longmont, Colo.), who had come in and got a strikeout to end the sixth inning and keep the game in an 8-8 tie, retired the Jimmies in order to close out the game and pick up the victory.

A leadoff homer by Morgan Geiszler started a three-run first inning to put the Jimmies on top, but Lassley answered with a well-placed three-run single to pull the Falcons even.

The Falcons (9-4) then capitalized on a pair of Jamestown miscues in the second inning to jump ahead before scoring two more runs in the third inning on an RBI single from Aleigha Gale (FR/Winfield, Kan. ) and a successful double-steal that saw Travens cross the plate and Gale advance to second for an 8-3 lead.

Gale went 3-of-5 at the plate for the Falcons in the victory over Jamestown and Lassley had two hits and a career-high tying five RBIs.

Katie Reisdorfer had three hits and drove in three runs for the Jimmies (10-4).

Michelle Kroell (SO/Clovis, Calif. ) started for Friends and gave up five runs, three earned and struck out five in four innings of work.

In the first game of the day, the Falcons fell 10-2 to the (RV) Concordia University Bulldogs.

The Bulldogs led 2-1 when Tori Homolka came through with the big blow of the game, a grand slam in the third that suddenly pushed the lead up to five runs.

Carolyn Dallimore (SO/Patterson, Calif. ) led off the fourth inning with her second home run in as many days, but a two-run double by Kylee Nixon in the fifth put the game away for Concordia.

Low was 2-3 for the Falcons in the first tilt vs. the Bulldogs.

The Falcons will next be in action at home on Wednesday afternoon (Mar. 20) against No. 20-ranked Morningside College. First pitch is set for 3 pm.