Softball Walks Off Grinnell in Game Two for DH Split

Belville delivers game-winning double

by Nathan Baliva

MONMOUTH, Ill. (04/03/2022) — The Monmouth College softball team split their Midwest Conference opening double header on Saturday and grabbed their first home win of 2022. The Scots walked-off Grinnell 7-6 in game two after dropping the opener 7-3.

Grinnell scored first in game two, taking a 1-0 lead against Jenna Pauley (Moline, Illinois) in the top of the first. Monmouth took the lead in the bottom of the inning. Lillian Hucke (Aledo, Illinois) led off with a single and the Scots loaded the bases as MyKenzie Kloess (Dupo, Illinois) singled and Pauley walked. With two down, Addison Riley (Illinois City, Illinois) singled home a pair for a 2-1 lead.

The Pioneers tied the game in the second and took the lead with three runs in the fourth. They added another run in the fifth against Anna McCarty (Buffalo, Illinois) to take a 6-2 lead.

Monmouth rallied in the fifth inning as they started the frame with four straight hits. McCarty singled, Allie Ramlo (Tremont, Illinois) doubled and Riley singled home a run. Maddie Wilson (Wyoming, Illinois) singled home a run and Riley scored on a squeeze bunt from Grace Goodrich (Lake Villa, Illinois). Hucke singled to second and when the throw was wild, Wilson scored to tie the game 6-6.

Grinnell had the go-ahead run on base in the seventh when Abby Leber (Tremont, Illinois) came out of the bullpen. With one out, she hit a batter but then got the next two batters out to end the inning.

Goodrich singled to start the seventh and put the winning run aboard. After two strikeouts, Madelyn Belville (Rushville, Illinois) hit a fly ball into right field that fell between two diving Pioneers fielders. Goodrich never stopped running and she slid in safely ahead of the relay throw to give Belville a walk-off double and the Scots a 7-6 win.

Game One Goes to Grinnell

The opening game was a tough one for the Scots as three starters left the game with injuries, two on the same play. Grinnell scored two in the first inning against Leber, both unearned.

Monmouth got on the board in the bottom of the first. Belville walked with one out and Jessica Pauley (Moline, Illinois) was hit by a pitch. With two down, Ramlo singled to center and Belville scored but Monmouth ultimately left the bases loaded.

Starting center fielder Calista Warmowski (Spring Grove, Illinois) left the game in the second inning after Grinnell took a 5-1 lead. In the fifth, the Pioneers put runners on second and third with one out. A fly ball resulted in a collision in the outfield and on the relay throw home to get the second runner there was a collision at the plate with the Pioneers runner ruled safe and obstruction called on catcher Jessica Pauley. Pauley was helped off the field while center fielder Makaylea Sepich (Mackinaw, Illinois) also leaving the game. Both runners scored on the play and Grinnell led 7-1.

Monmouth scored the final runs of the game in the seventh. Belville doubled and scored on a one-out double by Kloess. With two outs, McCarty reached on a dropped third strike wild pitch as Kloess scored but the Pioneers finished the game with a 7-3 win.

MONMOUTH MOMENTS: Leber struck out a career-high 10 in the first game, her fifth complete game of the seasonLeber has three career wins against GrinnellHucke had two hits in game one and a career-high three hits in game twoKloess had three hits in game oneBelville had a double in both gamesRiley had three hits and three RBI in game twoRamlo had two hits in game two, including a doubleThe Scots are next in action on Saturday, April 9 with a 1 p.m. double header against RiponThey will welcome back and honor Scots softball alumni at the DH.