Scots Walkoff Knox for Saturday Split

by Nathan Baliva

MONMOUTH, Ill. (04/29/2023) — The Monmouth College softball team split a Saturday double header with Knox. The Scots (13-22, 5-7) dropped game one 3-2 before winning 4-3 in walk-off fashion in game two.

In the opener, Knox jumped out to a 3-0 lead in the second inning. Monmouth got on the board in the third inning. Olivia Riddley (Chatham, Illinois) drew a leadoff walk and moved to second on a wild pitch. With one out, Calista Warmowski (Spring Grove, Illinois) doubled to right-center to cut the Knox lead to 3-1.

The score stayed 3-1 until the fifth inning. Kendall Lewis (Cambridge, Illinois) drew a walk and moved to second on a sacrifice bunt. Lillian Hucke (Aledo, Illinois) beat out an infield single to put runners on the corners. Warmowksi grounded out and Lewis scored to cut the deficit to 3-2.

The Scots couldn't get any tying run across and starting pitcher Abby Leber (Tremont, Illinois) took the loss. In a complete game effort, She allowed two earned runs on seven hits while striking out eight and walking two.

GAME TWO

Neither team scored in the first three innings of game two. Knox got on the board in the fourth with an unearned run against Lizzie Durfee (Arlington, Washington).

The Scots got going in the fifth inning. Hucke singled with one out and Warmowski reached on an error to put runners on the corners. Hucke scored on a squeeze bunt by Madelyn Belville (Rushville, Illinois) and Warmowski stole home to give the Scots a 2-1 lead.

Knox took the lead in the sixth. With the bases loaded and one out, Anna McCarty (Decatur, Illinois) took over for Durfee. A hit batter tied the game and an error gave Knox a 3-2 lead.

Lewis led off the bottom of the seventh with a single before she was forced at second as Riddley reached. Hucke and Warmowski both singled to load the bases. Belville singled to center and Riddley scored to tie the game. Addison Narlock (Antioch, Illinois) lifted a fly ball to center and Hucke slid home safely for a walk-off sacrifice fly.

Durfee allowed one earned run on six hits while striking out two in a no-decision. McCarty (4-0) got the win with 1 innings of hitless and scoreless action.

MONMOUTH MOMENTS: Leber moved a tie for ninth in career appearances with 52 and she is now seventh with 49 career starts. She is tied for 11th in single season starts with 17. Leber has 25 career complete games, eight this season. Hucke was 3-for-3 in game two with two runs scored and she collected four hits on the day. Belville drove in two in game two. Warmowski had two RBI in the opener and two hits in the nightcap. The Scots honored a handful of alumni between games and welcomed back former head coach John Goddard. Monmouth is 80-29 all-time against Knox including 27-5 since the start of the 2009 season. The Scots play at Cornell on Sunday with a 1 p.m. double header.