Softball Picks Up First Sweep of Season
North Newton, KS – The Hastings College softball team picked up its first sweep of the 2024 campaign by defeating Bethel 3-0 in game one before trouncing the Threshers 12- in game two in five innings on Friday afternoon.
North Newton, KS – The Hastings College softball team picked up its first sweep of the 2024 campaign by defeating Bethel 3-0 in game one before trouncing the Threshers 16-8 in game two on Friday afternoon.
Game one was a pitching duel from the word go. Kyleigh Boever allowed her defense to do the talking as she scattered six hits over her 7.0 inning complete game shutout. Boever needed her defense to step in the in second as Bethel loaded the bases as an alert Sam Skinner charged a grounder to her at third and threw it home for the force to end the threat and the inning.
Boever would have runners move to third in the fourth and fifth but would coax a groundout to third to end the fourth and a groundout to second to end the fifth.
The game remained scoreless into the seventh where the Lady Broncos would finally get some movement on the base paths plus some help from the Bethel defense.
Elana Gerhard started the inning off with a single to right. Rayleigh Guyer pinch ran for her and with one out she would steal second. Then Katyn Kappler sent a fly ball to right field that was dropped by Anna Northcutt which allowed Guyer to score and Kappler to end up on third.
Then Taylor Stuhr dropped a perfect bunt on a suicide squeeze and Kappler just beat the throw to the catcher to make it 2-0. Following a Nicole Halsey sac bunt to move Stuhr to second, Isabel Tanabe single to right which brought home Stuhr to make it 3-0.
That would be all Boever would need as she coaxed a fly out to center, a line out to second and a groundout to short to end the game.
Gerhard led the way going 2-for-3 at the plate in game one.
Game two was a much different story for the Hastings' bats as they exploded for five runs in the first inning.
Tanabe reached first on an error by first base. Guyer then reached on another error on first base. Gerhard loaded the bases with a single and then Lexie Mudloff cleared the bases as she singled to center as the ball got past the center fielder which made it 3-0. Kappler then ripped a RBI triple to right to score Mudloff while Stuhr picked up a RBI sac fly as HC led 5-0.
An error led to another run in the second and then Hastings blew the game open in the third as errors led to two more runs before Gerhard ripped a three RBI double to the fence in right center to make it 11-0. Hastings would go on to win the game 16-8.
Gerhard led the way in game two by going 3-for-5 with five RBIs and two runs scored. Mudloff went 2-for-4 with four RBIs while Stuhr went 3-for-4 with three RBIs. Macie Mays went 2-for-5 with a RBI while Kappler recorded two RBIs in the win.
The Lady Broncos are now 3-5 on the year and will be back in action Saturday Feb. 24 hitting the road to take on Friends in a doubleheader with first pitch set for noon down in Wichita, KS.
