Softball Splits Saturday Home Doubleheader With Benedictine

Marshall, Mo., (April 13, 2024)- The Missouri Valley College softball played its first games of the season at Lyon Bowl at Indian Foothills Park Saturday afternoon, hosting Benedictine (Kan.) in a Heart of America Athletic Conference doubleheader.  The Vikings fell late in game one, 4-1, but bounced back to win a pitchers' duel in game two, 1-0.

Benedictine threatened in its first at-bat of game one, putting a pair of runners on-base with two outs.  Senior Pitcher Kim Horsten (Moergestel, The Netherlands) got out of the jam with a pop-out to Junior Third Baseman Brianna Vela (Kingsburg, Calif.) to end the threat.  The bottom half of the inning featured a single from Sophomore Rightfielder Sophie De Rouin (Vienna, Austria) followed by an RBI triple from Junior Second Baseman Avery Gifford (Kansas City, Mo.) to put the Vikings on top, 1-0.  Horsten struck out one batter in the second inning, then worked around two baserunners in the top of the third to keep MVC in front.  Missouri Valley threatened in the bottom of the third as Sophomore Leftfielder Hailey Simons (Pleasanton, Calif.) walked, Junior Centerfielder Caitlyn Vela (Kingsburg, Calif.) singled, and Gifford reached on an error to load the bases with one out.  However, the three runners were left stranded, and the score stayed at 1-0.  

The Ravens answered in the top of the fourth, tying the game at 1-1.  Sophomore Shortstop Makyala Casjens (Galt, Calif.) doubled and Simons reached with a single in the bottom half of the fourth, but the pair were left stranded.  After a scoreless fifth inning, BC rallied in the sixth, producing two hits, two walks and three runs to move ahead, 4-1.  The Vikings were taken down in order in the bottom of the sixth, then were unable to create a runner in the final at-bat to suffer a 4-1 loss.

Gifford had one hit and one RBI, while De Rouin added one hit and one run.  Caitlyn Vela, Casjens and Simons each added one hit.  Horsten pitched seven innings, giving up five hits and four earned runs with seven strikeouts.

Game two featured a back-and-forth pitchers' duel, as Senior Pitcher Cherrelee Miles (Centurion, South Africa) worked through the Ravens lineup in order in the first two innings, striking out two batters.  The first baserunner for either team came in the top of the third, but Miles stranded the runner to end the at-bat.  Simons followed with a two-out single in the bottom half of the inning, and was left on-base.  After Miles faced the minimum in the top of the fourth, De Rouin led off the bottom half with a single.  Sophomore First Baseman Olivia Bettencourt (Murrieta, Calif.) walked to put two runners on-base, but the pair were left stranded.  Miles worked around a double by BC in the fifth, then struck out a pair in the sixth to keep the teams scoreless.  The bottom half of the sixth started with Caitlyn Vela reaching safely on an error, then advancing to second base on a wild pitch.  A grounder from De Rouin moved Caitlyn Vela to third, and another wild pitch brought her home to put the Vikings on top, 1-0.  Holding the one-run lead in the top of the seventh, Miles struck out the first batter, and a grounder to Bettencourt at first base made it two outs.  Benedictine followed with a single to put the tying run on base, but Miles induced a game-ending grounder to Gifford at second base to end the game and secure the 1-0 victory.

De Rouin and Simons had the only two hits for Missouri Valley, with the lone run from Caitlyn Vela.  Miles pitched a complete-game shutout, giving up three hits with no walks and five strikeouts. This is the second complete-game for Miles on the season, the fourth overall and the first complete-game shutout in her career.

Missouri Valley moves to 16-18 on the season and 10-4 in the Heart.  Benedictine is 33-7 overall and 13-3 in the conference.

Up next, the Viking softball team hosts Baker (Kan.) in a Heart doubleheader, Sunday at 2 p.m., at Lyon Bowl.

Game 1 Box Score-Click Here

Game 2 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.