Softball Splits Season Opening DH with Blackburn

Powers Homers Twice, Including Grand Slam

by Nathan Baliva

MONMOUTH, Ill. (03/01/2026) — The Monmouth College softball team started the 2026 season with a double header split at Blackburn on Saturday. The Fighting Scots (1-1) won the opener 14-9 before falling 14-11 in the nightcap as Savannah Powers (Volo, Illinois) homered in both games.

The Beavers got on the board early in the opener with two runs in the first against starter Alyssa Hefflefinger (Olin, Iowa). The Scots came right back in the second inning as Powers reached on an error, Mackenzie Gerard (Jacksonville, Illinois) doubled and both scored on a double by Brooklyn Millhollin (Peoria, Illinois). Maddie Hepner (Alexis, Illinois) put the Scots on top 3-2 with a double.

In the third, Ella Cunningham (Dunlap, Illinois) led off with a walk and Powers crushed a 2-run homer for a 5-2 Monmouth lead. Two errors later, Elizabeth Waymire (Havana, Illinois) made it 7-2 with a double and she scored on a single by Alexis Hardy (Rushville, Illinois).

Monmouth added on in the fourth as Karliegh Ashby (Monmouth, Illinois) led off with a single and Cunningham singled. With one out, Powers reached on an error and Gerard drive in a run for a 9-2 lead. Another error plated Gunningham before Blackburn got out of the inning.

The Beavers scored one run in the fourth and plated five with a pair of doubles and a 3-run homer against Lydia Overcash (Farmington, Illinois) in the sixth.

Monmouth put the game away in the top of the seventh. Hepner singled and with one out, Hardy walked. Ashby doubled home both runners and moved to third on a single by Cunningham. Graci Guenther (Pekin, Illinois) made it 14-8 with her first Monmouth hit, a 2-run single. Blackburn added one run in the bottom of the inning, unearned, before Overcash got a grounder to finish the game.

Hefflefinger (1-0) got the win as she struck out eight batters and allowed three runs over five innings.

GAME TWO

The Scots took an early lead in game two. Ashby led off with a single, moved up an error and stole third. She came home on a groundout by Cunningham.

Blackburn took the lead against starting pitcher Elizabeth Durfee (Arlington, Washington) with two runs in the first inning and three more in the second to lead 5-1. Their second homer of the game started the third inning and Blackburn pushed the lead to 9-1.

Powers singled with one out in the fourth and scored from second on a two-out double by Millhollin. Hepner delivered a RBI double as did Waymire as the Scots cut the deficit to 9-4.

Addie Greene (Rushville, Illinois) took over for Durfee and threw a scoreless fourth inning. Ashby led off the fifth with a double and scored on a bunt single by Cinnungham as Blackburn threw the ball away. With two outs, Gerard made it 9-6 with a RBI single before the hosts got out of the inning.

The sixth inning was a wild one with 10 runs on nine hits and an error. Hepner singled to start the top of the frame and Hardy singled to put two on. An error loaded the bases and Cunnigham singled home a run. With two outs, Powers cleared the bases with a grand slam and her second homer of the day for an 11-9 lead.

Blackburn came right back in their half of the inning with a leadoff homer. After two singles, they hit a 3-run homer to regain the lead. Blackburn added one more in the inning to go on top 14-11.

The Scots couldn't get anything going in the seventh as Waymire walked with two down but a line out ended the game. Greene (0-1) took the loss in relief.

MONMOUTH MOMENTS: Powers didn't homer in her first 64 Monmouth games before hitting two on Saturday, including a grand slamGerard had four hits in game one ... Hepner, Cunningham and Ashby all had two hits in both games ... Waymire had two hits in game oneMillhollin and Powers had two hits in game two ... Ashby, Cunningham, Powers, Millhollin and Waymire had two RBI in game one while Cunningham also scored three runs ... Cunningham had three RBI in game two while Powers had four ... Ashby ascored three runs in game two ... Cunningham and Overcash made their college debuts in game one while Guenther made her Monmouth debut ... The teams also split a DH last year ... First year coach Heather Turnquist, a former Monmouth softball player, earned her first career win in game one ... Monmouth leads the all-time series 8-4 ... The Scots will play a DH against Webster at Noon Sunday in Eureka, Missouri.