Lady Pioneers Split in Iowa

Lady Pioneers Split in Iowa- Wil Teague, Sports Information Director, 4-14-23

Game One:

Crowley's Ridge- 13

Arkansas Baptist- 4

Mt. Pleasant, Iowa- The Lady Pioneers hit the road yesterday as they traveled to Iowa Welseyan's campus to compete in a Continental Athletic Conference classic. Crowley's Ridge was slotted to take on the Lady Buffaloes of Arkansas Baptist in the first contest of the day. Shelby Elrod toed the rubber but also blazed the trail for CRC from the batter's box as the junior pitcher wouldn't be denied collecting  3 hits in 5 at-bats en route to claiming her 10th win on the season. The other Lady Pioneers followed suit as they belted out 13 hits as a team with Dru Bryant, Piper Farmer, Hannah Burk, and Autum Maxwell ending the game with multiple hits for CRC as well. Crowley's Ridge scored first with Brooklyn Melson doubling in the first inning scoring Elrod, but the Pioneers really pulled away with the game in the third where they brought in 6 Pioneer runners with Kourtni Jagneaux, Farmer, Maxwell, Elrod, and Bryant collecting RBI's in the inning. The Buffaloes would scrape up 4 runs over the next two innings but CRC cut the rope of hope in the 6th inning as 5 more Pioneers scored off doubles from Farmer and Maxwell and errors by ABC. When it was all said and done, Elrod went 5 innings before being relieved by Abby Ewing, as the junior tossed one inning to close out the contest, Ewing did not allow a hit and struck out one in the final inning. 

Leaders: Hitting

CRC scored 13 runs on 13 hits. 

Elrod (3-5)(2RBI)(2B), Farmer (2-3)(2RBI)(2B), Maxwell (2-3)(2RBI)(2)(2B)

Pitching:

Elrod: 5.0 innings, 7 H, 4 R, 4 ER, 1 BB, 1 SO, 1 HR

Ewing: 1.0 innings, 0 H, 0 R, 0 ER, 0 BB, 1 SO

Game Two:

Crowley's Ridge- 3

Haskell University- 4

Mt. Pleasant, Iowa- The second matchup of the day told a different story as the Lady Pioneers fell behind in the first inning 4-0 as a lead-off error allowed the inning to continue where the Indians got 4 unearned runs past starting pitcher Halea Wells. The Pioneers went to the bullpen early on relieving Wells and bringing in Natalie Brightwell who tossed the remainder of the game, holding Haskell's offense still. The Lady Pioneers reached double digits in the hit column for the second game in a row but struggled to get runners across the plate as they left 9 Pioneers stranded. CRC came to life in the last two innings of the game where they scored three runs in the bottom of the 6th with Brooklyn Melson coming through with a 1-out single finally breaching the scoring barrier as she drove in Maddie Reed. Two batters later Jocelyn Villarreal and Heather Conaway took advantage of a Haskell fielding error as Villarreal reached first on the ground ball to shortstop and Heather Coaway scored. CRC's final run of the game was awarded to Autum Maxwell as she doubled to centerfield scoring Angel Johnson. Crowley's Ridge College did spark life as they started the comeback in the top of the 7th with 2 outs as Dru Bryant and Hannah Burk each singled and  Melson was awarded first due to catcher's interference but a strikeout would send their effort crashing down as the Indians held off the late-inning push claiming the win 4-3. 

Leaders: Hitting

CRC scored 3 runs on 10 hits

Burk( 3-4), Maxwell  (2-3) (RBI) (2B), Bryant (2-4)

Pitching:

Wells: 1.0 innings, 3 H, 4 R, 0 ER, 1 BB, 1 SO

Brightwell: 5.0 innings, 7 H, 0 R, 0 ER, 1 BB, 2 SO