Softball Drops Pair to End Florida Trip

by Luke Bradburn

MONMOUTH, Ill. (03/14/2025) — The Monmouth College softball team dropped a pair of games on their final day of the Florida trip on Friday. The Fighting Scots (2-12) ;lost the opener 12-6 to unbeaten Marietta College and lost 4-0 to Baldwin Wallace (9-1) in the nightcap.

Karliegh Ashby (Monmouth, Illinois) kicked off the game with a triple in the gap. Grace Wyman (Pekin, Illinois) and Shelby Covey (Peoria, Illinois) reached on walks to load the bases. Brooklyn Millhollin (Peoria, Illinois) dropped an RBI single into shallow center to bring Ashby home. With the bases loaded and two outs, Mackenzie Gerard (Jacksonville, Illinois) hit a bases clearing double over the left fielder to take a 4-0 lead. Alyssa Hefflefinger (Olin, Iowa) started the game in the circle for the Scots. The Pioneers added a pair of runs to cut the lead in half.

Ashby singled in the top of the second and stole a bag. Covey laced an RBI triple to left field to bring home Ashby. Savannah Powers (Volo, Illinois) punched an RBI single through the left side to give the Scots a 6-2 lead. Millhollin walked and Kendall Lewis (Cambridge, Illinois) singled to load the bases but the Pioneers were able to work out of the jam on a fielder's choice. Hefflefinger started the bottom half of the inning with back to back punchouts before a foul out ended the inning.

Brooklyn Manners (Burleson, Texas) led off the third inning with an infield single before stealing second and advancing to third on a wild pitch. The Pioneers were able to hold Manners at third, ending the inning with a pair of strikeouts and a flyout. Wyman made a diving catch on a sinking line drive to record the first out in the bottom half of the inning. Hefflefinger was able to work around a pair of walks to get out of the inning unscathed.

Covey legged out an infield single to lead off the fourth. Ashley Juerjens (Delavan, Illinois) pinch ran for Covey and Powers doubled to right center to move Juerjens to third. The Scots stranded both runners with a strikeout and a pair of pop outs to end the top half of the inning. The Pioneers were retired in order to end the inning.

The Pioneers brought in their fourth pitcher of the game and the Scots went 1-2-3 to start the fifth inning. The Pioneers loaded the bases on a pair of walks and a hit by pitch with 1 out in the bottom half of the inning. A fielding error and a double brought the game even 6-6 and led to Kayleigh Cobb (Pawnee, Illinois) entering the game in relief. A single drove in the go ahead run and the Pioneers added 3 more to take a 10-6 lead through five innings.

Wyman led off the sixth with a single and Millhollin reached base on a walk but the Scots were unable to cut the deficit. The Pioneers added a pair of runs on a wild pitch and a double to push their lead to 12-6.

Gerard added a single to lead off the seventh and made it to second on a wild pitch but the Scots were unable to capitalize, bringing the game to a close with a final tally of 12-6.

Game 2

Lizzie Durfee (Arlington, Washington) started in the circle for the Scots and allowed one run in the top of the first. The Scots went three up three down in the bottom half of the inning.

Neither team was able to strike again until the fourth inning when a trio of singles and a wild pitch brought in another run for the Yellow Jackets. Ashby broke into the hit column in the bottom of the fourth with a single but would be stranded on base.

The Yellow Jackets extended the lead in the top of the sixth with a pair of singles and a 2-run double leading to Addie Greene (Rushville, Illinois) taking over for the Scots. Juerjens singled to left center and Ashby reached base on a walk before being caught stealing to end the inning.

Greene retired the side in the top of the seventh inning and the Scots went down in order in the bottom half of the inning to end the game 4-0.

MONMOUTH MOMENTS: Ashby had hits in both games extending her hit streak to five gamesShe is four stolen bases away from the career top 10Covey had her first career triple in the first gameMonmouth is 0-2 against Marietta, meeting twice in as many daysBaldwin Wallace leads the all time series 1-4, last meeting in 2009 and 2010 also in FloridaThe Scots are back home for a double header against Illinois Wesleyan Tuesday at 3:00pm and 5:00pm.

Kendall

Lewis