Softball Splits Saturday DH at Beloit

by Nathan Baliva

MONMOUTH, Ill. (04/24/2022) — The Monmouth College softball team went on the road Saturday and split a low-scoring double header with Beloit College. The Scots (9-19, 6-3) dropped the opener 2-0 before winning game two 2-1.

Monmouth got five hits in the opener but didn't score. The best chance came in the first when Madelyn Belville (Rushville, Illinois) led off with a single and Lillian Hucke (Aledo, Illinois) singled. But the next three batters were retired in order.

Beloit scored in the fourth against Abby Leber (Tremont, Illinois) with the run scoring on a squeeze bunt with runners on the corners. The Scots put a runner on second in the fifth but didn't score. Beloit scored against Rebecca Merletti (Kenosha, Wisconsin) with a solo home run in the fifth and held on to win the game 2-0.

Leber allowed one run on four hits over four innings and struck out eight in the loss.

The Scots got on the board in the top of the first in game two. After reaching on a fielder's choice, MyKenzie Kloess (Dupo, Illinois) stole second and moved to third with two outs. Jenna Pauley (Moline, Illinois) helped her own cause with a RBI single.

Pauley blanked Beloit over four innings and added a double in the top of the fourth. The Scots added on in the fifth when Kendall Lewis (Cambridge, Illinois) singled home Biancha Luna (Monmouth, Illinois). Pauley gave way to Anna McCarty (Buffalo, Illinois) in the circle and the Scots kept the 2-0 lead into the seventh.

Beloit started the seventh with a single, fielder's choice and single. Another two-out single plated a run and moved the tying run to third base. But McCarty, celebrated her birthday with a save as she got a fly out to end the game. Pauley (3-5) got the win with four shutout innings in which she allowed four hits and struck out two.

The Scots, who sit in fourth place in the conference at 6-3, play a double header at first-place Lake Forest on Sunday at 1 p.m.