[Softball] Home run barrage helps Softball Falcons split on first day of round-robin

WICHITA, Kan. – Playing in front of its home fans for the first in the 2023 season, the Friends University Falcons got a trio of home runs in three consecutive innings to fuel a 5-0 victory over the Peru State College Bobcats on the opening day of their round-robin today (Mar. 3) at Two Rivers Youth Complex. The Falcons then fell 5-3 to the Missouri Valley College Vikings in the second tilt of the day.

Following an RBI double by Laila Spracklen (SR/San Diego, Calif. ) in the first inning, Priscilla Mora (SO/Beaumont, Calif. ) unloaded the Falcons' first long ball for a quick 3-0 lead.

It was then Vanessa Sigala (JR/Carson, Calif. )'s turn to go yard in the second inning before Spracklen got into the homer act with a solo blast in the third.

Spracklen blanked the Bobcats for four innings and struck out 11 batters, one shy of her career-high. Alex Vick (FR/San Antonio, Texas) then came on and made her career pitching debut with three shutout innings and one strikeout.

The Bobcats were limited to just three hits on the day, with all three coming from leadoff hitter Ellie Ohlde.

Missouri Valley led from the outset in the final game for the Falcons, scoring one in the first and then another in the third on an RBI single by Viviana Gamez.

After the Vikings increased the lead with two runs in the fifth, the Falcons got on the board with an RBI single by Aleigha Gale (JR/Winfield, Kan. ).

Carolyn Dallimore (SR/Patterson, Calif. ) then launched her third homer of the season in the sixth to make it a two-run game, but the Vikings answered in the seventh with a run-scoring single by Morgan Newmyer.

In the bottom of the seventh, Jayden Estabrook (SO/Tracy, Calif. ) scored her second run of the game on a single by Fallyn Marshall (JR/Syracuse, Utah) to again pull the Falcons within two runs.

But with the tying run at the plate, Missouri Valley starter Kim Horsten retired the final two hitters to preserve the win for the Vikings.

Marshall and Gale each had two hits at the top of the lineup for the Falcons, while Sydnee Weber scored three of the five Vikings runs.

Isabelle Schwien (JR/Denver, Colo. ) went seven innings in the circle for the Falcons, striking out four and allowing three earned runs.

Horsten had nine strikeouts and also surrendered three earned runs for Missouri Valley.

Tomorrow (Mar. 4), the Falcons will wrap up action at their round robin with matchups against Mount Mercy University at 10 am and Dakota State University at 2 pm.