Softball Falls in Close Games at Friends Invitational

Wichita, Kan., (March 1, 2024)- The Missouri Valley College softball team traveled to Wichita, Kan., for the Friends Invitational, Friday.  The Vikings fell to Bethany (Kan.), 6-4 to open the weekend.  The team then led early, but fell to Concordia (Neb.) in the second game, 12-9.

Bethany started game one of the day going in front in the bottom of the first inning, producing two hits to move in front, 2-0.  The inning ended with a play at home plate, where Sophomore Catcher Makayla Casjens (Galt, Calif.) applied the final out to strand runners on-base.  Junior Third Baseman Brianna Vela (Kingsburg, Calif.) began the top of the second inning with a single, and Senior Rightfielder Chrisha Gray (Modesto, Calif.) was hit, but the two were left stranded.  Senior Pitcher Kim Horsten (Moergestel, The Netherlands) struck out one in the second inning and kept Bethany scoreless.  The bottom of the third featured another long at-bat for Bethany, producing two runs to make it a 4-0 score.  The Viking deficit grew to 5-0 after the Swedes tacked on another run in the fourth.

Missouri Valley began to work back in the top of the sixth inning as Vela doubled and came home on a two-run homer from Junior Shortstop Alanna Neilsen (Salt Lake City, Utah) to cut the deficit to 5-2.  The Swedes got one of those runs back in the bottom of the sixth, but a chance to extend the lead ended when Gray threw out a runner from right field trying to score for the final out of the inning.  The Vikings again tried to rally in the seventh, which started on a single from Sophomore Leftfielder Hailey Simons (Pleasanton, Calif.).  Junior Second Baseman Avery Gifford (Kansas City, Mo.) followed with a two-run homer to work the gap down to two runs.  Freshman Designated Player Quinlynn Keller (Galt, Calif.) reached with a double, allowing the tying run to come to the plate with one out.  However, the rally ended there as Keller was stranded and MVC fell, 6-4.

Gifford and Neilsen both finished with two hits, one run and two RBI's, both hitting two-run home runs.  Vela had two hits and one run scored, while Simons added one hit and one run.  Freshman Pitcher Chloe Shuff (Cypress, Calif.) pitched 3.1 innings in relief, giving up three hits and one earned run with three strikeouts.

The game against Concordia started with the two teams held scoreless in the first inning.  Senior Pitcher Cherrelee Miles (Centurion, South Africa) worked out of a bases-loaded jam in the bottom half of the inning, striking out two batters to leave all three runners on-base.  Missouri Valley rallied in the top of the second as Brianna Vela singled, and Gray knocked out a two-run homer.  With two outs in the at-bat, MVC put together more production from the plate.  Junior Centerfielder Caitlyn Vela (Kingsburg, Calif.) singled and Simons reached safely on an error.  Caitlyn Vela scored on a single from Gifford to increase the advantage.  Sophomore First Baseman Olivia Bettencourt (Murrieta, Calif.) walked and Keller reached on another error that allowed both Simons and Gifford to score and give the team a 5-0 advantage.  The Bulldogs answered with a seven-hit, nine-run bottom of the second inning to move in front, 9-5.

Missouri Valley got two of those runs back in the third, which started on a Neilsen single, with Caitlyn Vela knocking out a two-run homer to cut the deficit down to 9-7.  Concordia answered in the bottom half, using a two-run home run to increase the advantage to 11-7.  The Vikings got out of the inning with a double-play, started by Sophomore Shortstop Aniah Castruita (South El Monte, Calif.), to end the rally.  More scoring came in the top of the fourth.  Bettencourt led off with a double, and Brianna Vela brought the runner home on a double.  Later in the at-bat, Neilsen worked a two-out single to score Brianna Vela that shrunk the gap down to 11-9.  Junior Pitcher Abby Kinzler (Blue Springs, Mo.) came in to pitch starting with the bottom of the fourth, and took down the Bulldogs in order with two strikeouts.  Kinzler then worked around a leadoff double in the bottom of the fifth to strike out a pair, without surrendering a run.  Missouri Valley was taken down in order in the top of the sixth, but Concordia added a two-out RBI single to increase its lead by one run.  The final at-bat for MVC started with a lead off walk from Neilsen, but a double-play in the inning ended momentum in the inning as the Vikings fell, 12-9.

Cailtyn Vela led with three hits, two runs and two RBI's, while Brianna Vela had three hits, two runs and one RBI.  Neilsen added two hits, one run and one RBi, while Gray totaled one hit, one run and two RBi's.  Gifford had one hit, one run and one RBI.  Horsten pitched three innings with four hits, one earned run and four strikeouts.

The pair of losses drop Missouri Valley to 2-8 on the season.

Up next, the team plays two more games at the Friends Invitational, in Wichita, Kan.  The first game starts at 12:30 p.m., against York (Neb.), followed by a 4:30 p.m., game against St. Mary (Kan.).

Bethany Box Score-Click Here

Concordia Box Score-Click Here

ABOUT MISSOURI VALLEY COLLEGE

Known for its dynamic, richly diverse, and friendly educational environment, Missouri Valley College offers many opportunities to grow in mind, body, and spirit. Grounded in the liberal arts, undergraduate studies empower students to master interdisciplinary skills needed to succeed in a knowledge-based global society. MVC offers over 30 academic programs, study abroad program, extracurricular activities, and a wide variety of sports. The most popular majors include education and business, criminal justice and exercise science. Above all, Valley is committed to student success. For more information, call (660) 831-4000 or visit www.moval.edu.