Softball Sweeps McPherson, Ties Single-Game Doubles Record

Softball opened a three-day swing through Kansas on Thursday with a pair of victories at McPherson. The Tigers took the opener, 2-0, and rallied behind several extra base hits to take game two, 5-2. Doane improved to 3-3 on the season.

Game One
Doane threatened to score in the opening two innings before breaking through in the third inning. The Tigers took advantage of a one-out error as Isabella Beauchamp followed later in the inning with a two-out single to plate Katelyn Hays. In the bottom of the inning, the Bulldogs opened with a single and a stolen base only to have the runner thrown out at third as part of a double play on a popout.

In the fourth inning, the Tigers scored on a two-out single by Hays with Britney Hoffman scoring to give Doane a 2-0 lead. Over the last four innings, McPherson would strand two runners on base in each inning.

Abbi Arroyo threw the first 2.0 innings of the game, facing 10 batters. She allowed two hits and two walks while striking out one. Alexis Hubbard threw the next 3.0 innings, allowing three hits and a while while striking out three batters. She faced 14 hitters in her outing as she picked up the win (1-0). Sarah Shevenell threw 1.0 inning-plus, facing seven batters, and allowed two hits and two walks with a strikeout. Faith Molina came into the game with the tying runs on base in the seventh inning and retired the three batters she faced to pick up the save (1).

Doane had five hits in the game, led by Beauchamp with two hits and an RBI. Anna Prauner went 2-for-2 with a walk.

Game Two
McPherson took the early lead, taking advantage of a Doane error. A one-out single gave the Bulldogs a 1-0 lead. Doane tied the game in the second inning when Payton Cooley scored on a passed ball.

In the bottom of the third inning with two outs and a runner on second base, Molina was able to induce a popup on the infield. However, the ball fell to the ground behind the pitcher's circle and bounced away from the defense for an infield double to put the Bulldogs back in front.

Molina struck out the side in the fourth inning, swinging momentum to the Tigers as they took their first lead of the game in the fifth inning. Cooley opened the inning with a single and a stolen base. She scored on a double by Shevenell to tie the game. Following two outs, Jeryn Allen doubled to put Doane in front, 3-2.

With two outs in the seventh inning, the Tigers would pounce on the Bulldogs following a walk. Marisa Marquez doubled to plate Hays and came in to score on a double by Prauner. Molina held McPherson in check in the bottom of the inning to close out the game.

Improving her record to 2-1 on the season, Molina threw a complete game over 7.0 innings of work. She allowed two runs, one earned, on five hits and two walks while striking out eight batters. Molina faced 29 batters in the game.

Offensively, Doane had 11 hits in the game with seven doubles. The Tigers tied the single-game record for doubles, previously set on the same date (February 22) in 2017 against Avila. Prauner had three hits in the game, including two doubles. Shevenell was 3-for-3 and Cooley was 2-for-2 with a walk.

Next up for the Tigers is a triple to Great Bend, Kansas, where the Tigers will take on Tabor. First pitch for Friday, February 23, is set for 2:00 PM.