CRC softball drops one then leaves Missouri victorious

April 2, 2022

by Dustin Semore, Sports Information Director

NEVADA, Mo. – With two games left to play in the Continental Athletic Conference round-robin hosted by Cottey (Mo.) College, Crowley's Ridge dropped an early morning affair to Bacone (Okla.) College 9-3. With an extended break to recover, the Lady Pioneers bested Iowa Wesleyan 8-0 in five innings to earn their first conference win.

Game One

Crowley's Ridge – 3

Bacone – 9

The Lady Pioneers (9-26, 0-5 CAC) pounded out ten hits in the first game of the day but left seven runners stranded. Bacone (12-8, 3-1 CAC) plated one run in the bottom of the first inning, but it was a four-run second inning that put the Warriors on top for good.

In the top of the third inning, CRC plated a pair of runs starting with Bailey Jones (1) leading off the inning with her first home run of the season. Shelby Elrod would keep momentum swinging towards Crowley's Ridge with a one-out double into left. Elrod would score the Lady 'Neers second run off of the bat of Rachel Russell who found a hole on the right side of the infield.

Back-to-back homers from the Warriors in the bottom of the fifth erased any hopes of a Lady Pioneer comeback. Despite the deficit, Layne Tedder led off the sixth inning with a double, eventually scoring thanks to Lacey Lambright-Southern's two-out single.

Elrod (6-12) got the start in the circle, taking the loss after pitching five innings.

In the designated player spot, Brooklyn Melson led the Lady Pioneers with three singles. April Kennedy followed with two base hits including a double in the fifth.

Game Two (5 inn.)

Iowa Wesleyan – 0

Crowley's Ridge – 8

Getting back into the win column, Crowley's Ridge (10-26, 1-5 CAC) picked up their first conference victory in the second game of the day against CAC newcomer Iowa Wesleyan (3-19, 0-5 CAC).

Abby Ewing (2-3) earned her first collegiate shutout, allowing just three Lady Tiger hits in the complete-game win.

After Shelby Elrod led off the home half of the first inning, Brooklyn Melson continued her torrid pace at the plate, driving in Elrod with a single into right field.

Dru Bryant laced a one-out single into right field in the second frame, coming home to score the Lady 'Neers second run with Lacey Lambright-Southern's RBI single. 

It was a five-run third inning that propelled the girls in green to victory after April Kennedy's leadoff single saw the senior touch home off of the bat of Rachel Russell. With one out, Dru Bryant took advantage of a throwing error from IW, scoring both Russell and Melson. Bailey Jones would fire a fastball up the middle of the diamond to score Bryant and Layne Tedder to end the big inning for CRC.

Needing one more run to reach the rule-rule threshold, Tedder hit a one-out double, followed by back-to-back singles from Kylie Cox and scoring on Bryant's single.

Crowley's Ridge tallied 12 back knocks in game two, led by Bryant, Elrod, Jones, and Lambright-Southern collecting two each.

Up Next

A road trip that began two months ago will mercifully come to a conclusion on Monday, April 11, with a visit to Memphis's LeMoyne-Owen (Tenn.) College. The doubleheader is set to begin at 1:00 p.m.

Crowley's Ridge will look to return to Pioneer Park for the first time since February 21 with a conference twin-bill against Cottey on April 15.