Ashby Collects Five Hits but Softball Swept at Wheaton

by Nathan Baliva

MONMOUTH, Ill. (03/26/2025) — The Monmouth College softball team lost 17-5 and 9-1 in a double header at Wheaton College on Tuesday.

Karliegh Ashby (Monmouth, Illinois) led off with a single but was ultimately thrown out at the plate for the first out of the inning as Grace Wyman (Pekin, Illinois) reached on an error. Shelby Covey (Peoria, Illinois) walked and Savannah Powers (Volo, Illinois) put the Scots on the board with a double. The Thunder changed pitchers and Brooklyn Millhollin (Peoria, Illinois) made it 2-0 with a RBI groundout. Mackenzie Gerard (Jacksonville, Illinois) added a run with a single for a 3-0 lead after the top of the first.

An error started the bottom of the first and two hits loaded the bases with one out against Monmouth starter Lizzie Durfee (Arlington, Washington). A hit batter and a walk forced in two runs before Wheaton took a 6-3 lead with a double and two straight singles.

Alexis Hardy (Rushville, Illinois) walked to start the second and Brooklyn Manners (Burleson, Texas) singled to put two on base. Ashby singled home Hardy and with one out, Covey drove in Manners with a single.

With a single, walk and double, the Thunder pushed the lead to 8-5 in the second. They added another run with a sacrifice fly before Durfee stranded two runners.

Addie Greene (Rushville, Illinois) took over in the circle in the third inning and the Thunder scored four runs, three unearned, to lead 13-5. A 2-run home run capped the fourth inning and the Thunder retired the Scots in the top of the fifth to win 17-5.

GAME TWO

Wheaton jumped out to an early lead against Alyssa Hefflefinger (Olin, Iowa) in game two with a bases loaded walk in the first inning and a 2-run homer in the second. They pushed the lead to 6-0 with three in the third.

Addison Narlock (Antioch, Illinois) led off the fourth with a walk and Kendall Lewis (Cambridge, Illinois)was hit by a pitch. Riley King (Peoria, Illinois) walked to load the bases and Ashby got the Scots on the board with a RBI single.

The Thunder plated three in the fourth off reliever Kayleigh Cobb (Pawnee, Illinois). The Scots got a single from Narlock in the fifth but couldn't score to extend the game.

MONMOUTH MOMENTS: Ashby had five hits on the day with a pair of multi-hit games ... She also had a RBI in both tames ... Lewis was hit by a pitch in both games and also drew a walk ... Powers had hits in both games, including two in the opener ... Narlock had two hits in game two ... The teams last met in 2017, a 5-3 Monmouth win in Florida ... The Thunder lead the all-time series 4-2 ... The Scots play a 1 p.m. DH at Greenville on Saturday ... The next home game is a 1 p.m. DH on Saturday, April 5 against Eureka.