[Softball] Softball Falcons rally late in game two to salvage split with (RV) OKWU

WICHITA, Kan. – Trailing by a run late in the second game of what easily could have been mistaken for a postseason game, the Friends University Falcons came alive at the right time and defeated the (RV) Oklahoma Wesleyan University Eagles 5-2 to come away with a split of a key KCAC series today (Mar. 22) at Two Rivers Youth Complex. The Eagles had taken the opening tilt 8-4.

Some of the best players in the KCAC were on display today, including the league's leader in batting average and home runs in the Falcons' Carolyn Dallimore (SR/Patterson, Calif. ). OKWU's Lindy Alexander is tops in the KCAC in RBIs, while the Falcons' Laila Spracklen (SR/San Diego, Calif. ) and the Eagles' Maddy Wiese and Salem Liebenthal are all among the league leaders in ERA, strikeouts and wins on the pitching side.

The Eagles carried a 2-1 lead into the bottom of the sixth of the nightcap when Vanessa Sigala (JR/Carson, Calif. ) promptly changed the game with a leadoff homer to square the game.

Jayden Estabrook (SO/Tracy, Calif. ) picked up from there and singled before going to third on an error as Fallyn Marshall (JR/Syracuse, Utah) reached on a fielder's choice.

Estabrook then scored the go-ahead run on a wild pitch and Dallimore capped the decisive inning with a two-run double that scored both Marshall and Aleigha Gale (JR/Winfield, Kan. ).

Things got dicey in the seventh, but facing the dangerous Alexander with the bases loaded, Falcon starter Isabelle Schwien (JR/Denver, Colo. ) came up big and got a popup to first base on the first pitch of the at-bat.

A great diving play at third base by Makenna Mitchell (SR/Orange County, Calif. ) then finished out the big win for the Falcons.

Gale went 3-of-4 in the second game victory for the Falcons and Sigala was 2-of-2.

Raegan Rector had two hits for the Eagles.

Schwien was solid throughout, allowing just one earned run and striking out five through seven innings to an Eagle squad that came in averaging over seven runs per game. Facing a second and third with no outs jam in the fifth, Schwien locked in and retired the next three hitters, including two strikeouts to keep the deficit just 2-1 in what proved to be a pivotal moment.

Liebenthal, the KCAC's leader in strikeouts, struck out eight and walked four while giving up three earned runs on eight hits over six innings.

In the opener, the Falcons jumped out to a 1-0 lead when Priscilla Mora (SO/Beaumont, Calif. ) hit a leadoff double and scored when Becca Dunn (SO/Jurupa Valley, Calif. ) put down a sacrifice bunt and reached on an error in the second inning.

But the Eagles took over from there and scored eight unanswered runs, starting with a three-run homer by Alexander in the fourth.

A two-run double by Baylee Knorr and an RBI single from Rector in the sixth finished the outburst and made it 8-1.

The Falcons didn't go down without a fight, as Dallimore launched her career-high ninth homer of the season, a three-run blast in the bottom of the seventh that assured the Falcons would carry momentum into the second game.

 The home run was the third hit for Dallimore in the game in four at-bats.

OKWU got two hits apiece from Rector and Ashlyn Teran in the first game.

Spracklen gave up five earned runs and struck out seven over 5.1 innings in the circle. Alex Vick (FR/San Antonio, Texas) then finished the game with 1.1 scoreless innings in relief for the Falcons (15-7, 3-1 KCAC).

Wiese fanned nine hitters and surrendered three earned runs in earning her 10th win of the season for OKWU (21-5, 5-1 KCAC).

The Falcons are next in action Saturday (Mar. 25) at Bethany College. The first game is set for 1 pm in Lindsborg, Kan.