Park University's softball program got back on track in Heart of America Athletic Conference play with a sweep over Graceland University at the Park Softball Complex on Saturday, defeating the Yellowjackets 9-5 and 5-2.

Park improves to 14-15 and 3-9 in the Heart with their first conference sweep of the season. Graceland now is 17-13 and 5-7 in the Heart.

GAME 1 BOX SCORE | 9-5

Despite four errors committed by Park in the game, the Pirates were able to motor past the Yellowjackets with nine runs on 10 hits.

Adrianna Solary earned her fourth win of the season with a solid 5.1 innings pitched in the circle with only two earned runs allowed and three strikeouts to her credit.

Dani Klein got to work in the bottom of the first with a single up the middle to score the game's first run, while her teammate Nia Muniz came through with a sharply hit ball to left field for two RBI's. Each of these runs were scored with two outs.

The Yellowjackets responded in the top of the second and the top of the third with four runs coming across in all.

Day was two-for-two with two walks in game one, and tied the game with a double to the right center wall in the bottom of the third. Another Park Hill High School graduate, Nia Muniz kept the train moving with a her second single to right field to score Day and a throwing error by the right fielder brought Klein in to score all the way around from first base.

The Pirates scored three runs in three separate innings, continuing to do so in the fifth on two hits. Muniz earned her fourth RBI of the day with a single through the hole between the second and first basemen to score Ariah Durkes. Following that was a bunt from Emma James that scored Klein from third base, and then the final Pirate run was off of a groundout by Ashley Kurima to score Muniz.
Muniz came in to pitch for the Pirates in the last 1.2 innings and only allowed one walk in her shutout outing to end the game 9-5.

GAME 2 BOX SCORE | 5-2

In game two, seven Pirates contributed to the eight hits on the board for Park. The game was more of a pitching duel, as Lauren Fiene only allowed two runs through six innings of work. She struck out seven Yellowjackets and the defense behind her came through with a well-executed double play in the fourth inning.

The first run of the game was scored by Graceland in the top of the second, which was quickly answered in the bottom half of the inning by Halle Magee's home run to right center. She now leads the Pirates in home runs with six this year and now has 10 in her two seasons at Park.

Two-out base-hits were what won the game for Park in game two though, as the Pirates the rest of their four runs score with two outs. James knocked in Klein with a single through the left side of the infield for the go-ahead run. Klein doubled to reach in the fourth and was the lone Pirate with a multiple hit game in the nightcap.

More two-out hitting was on display with two RBI singles from Day and Klein, while Shelby Sanders hustled in for a triple to right center.

Three was the magic number with four innings of three runs scored in the series and the bottom of the fifth saw those three runs come in on four hits.

Only one more run would score for the Yellowjackets in the top of the sixth, as Park moved on to the 5-2 victory.

Dakota Rau came in for the save situation and delivered after allowing a lead-off base-hit. Rau struck out two in one inning to seal her first save in 2023.

The Pirates are back at the Park Softball Complex at 1pm on Wednesday, April 12 against No. 4 Baker University. Watch the live-action here.