Softball Takes No. 24 Rowan to Extras but Drop Final Two Games in Florida

Scots Home Opener Set for Next Saturday

by Nathan Baliva

MONMOUTH, Ill. (03/11/2023) — The Monmouth College softball team took the No. 24 team in the nation to extra innings but ultimately lost their final two games in Florida on Friday. The Fighting Scots led No. 24 Rowan until the bottom of the sixth and lost 3-2 in eight innings before falling to Heidelberg University 14-1.

In the first game. Lillian Hucke (Aledo, Illinois) walked with one out in the first and MyKenzie Kloess (Dupo, Illinois) doubled. Madelyn Belville (Rushville, Illinois) singled to right for a 2-0 Monmouth lead.

Pitcher Abby Leber (Tremont, Illinois) pitched out of a jam in the first inning and stranded two more in the third. Monmouth left runners at second and third in the top of the sixth and towan tied the game in the bottom of the inning with a two-out home run.

Both teams had runners on in the seventh but didn't score. Monmouth put runners on second and third with nobody out in the eighth but couldn't take the lead. In the bottom of the eighth, Rowan won the game with a two-out single.

Leber (2-3) took the loss with a complete game and she allowed just one earned run while striking out two.

Heidelberg came out swinging in game two and they scored three in the first,, seven in the second and three in the third. Monmouth scored in the bottom of the first as Belville singled home Kloess but ultimately the game went to Heidelbeg 14-1.

Elizabeth Durfee (Arlington, Washington) took the loss as the Scots used four pitchers in the five-inning game.

MONMOUTH MOMENTS: The Scots went 4-4 on the Florida tripKloess had a hit in six of the eight games and finished the week with nine hits and nine runs scoredBelville had seven RBI on the weekOlivia Riddley (Chatham, Illinois) and Kendall Lewis (Cambridge, Illinois) both hit home runs on the trip and Riddley drove in five runsLeber mad four starts and and struck out 20 batters over 27 1/3 inningsDurfee also made four starts and struck out 14 batters in 17 inningsAnna McCarty (Decatur, Illinois) had a win and a save on the tripThe Scots next play on Saturday, March 18 in the home opener against AugustanaThe double hear starts a 1 p.m. at the Monmouth College Softball Field.