Park University's softball program traveled to Tucson, Ariz. for the Tucson Invitational Games from Sunday through Monday. They got to warmer weather in the desert and came away with a 4-2 record with wins against Concordia Ann Arbor (Mich.), Mayville State (N.D.), Dakota Wesleyan (S.D.), and Franklin & Marshall (Pa.); while coming up short against Valley City State (N.D.) and Westcliff (Calif.).

The Pirates are now 10-6 on the season with two more non-conference games upcoming against William Woods University. So far, the Pirates have matched their non-conference wins from the 2024 season.

The Pirates had a .275 batting average on the trip and held their opponents under .300 as well. Park also belted four triples and four home runs in the hot Arizona sun.
Magee led Park with eight hits and three of those triples, while Chloe Gilbert blasted two home runs for five RBI's.

Rori Hornung went 2-0 in the circle with 8.1 innings pitched, while Lauren Fiene racked up the most innings with 14 innings pitched and averaged a strike out per inning at 14. Meanwhile, Myel White in her only appearance threw 1.1 innings scoreless and did not allow a hit with three strikeouts.

Concordia Ann Arbor | W, 7-3 | Box Score
Park immediately backed up their starting pitcher, Fiene, with four runs through the first two innings of the Tucson Invitational Games. Gracie Ramsey, who was second on the team with seven hits, started Park off with a single and within the same play a throwing error brought Caroline Riffer around to score.

In the top of the second, two home runs for Park gave the Pirates a 4-0 lead. Hanna Vaught hit a solo home run to left center and then Ramsey roped an inside the Park home run.
Gilbert threw out a runner stealing second in the bottom of the second, which conceded a run, but again in the fourth, Ramsey hit in James on an RBI single and another throwing error scored Riffer again to extend Park's lead to 6-1.

A couple more runs scored for Concordia, but Fiene tossed four shutout innings in her complete game with seven strikeouts.
Riffer scored Park's last run on a ground out for the 7-3 win.

Valley City State | L, 4-8 | Box Score
The Pirates clung to a 1-0 lead through the first three innings, striking first again in the first inning. So far this season, the Pirates have outscored their opponents 36 to 14 in the first two innings of games. They are; however, getting outscored by 16 runs in the last three innings of games.

Vaught threw four shutout innings to begin the game with only three hits through the first four innings of work. Gilbert then put Park up two runs on a solo home run in the bottom of the fourth.

The last three innings hurt Park though, as all eight of the Vikings' runs rolled in, starting with a five hit fifth inning to score three runs.

It was a good response by Park at the plate with another two runs, aided by an error and a passed ball by Valley City State, but a five-run seventh inning gave the Vikings the go ahead runs they needed for an 8-4 win.

Vaught's day ended after the fifth inning with seven hits allowed and four strikeouts. Rylee Griffin was able to throw a scoreless sixth, but Valley City put together six hits in the seventh, including three-run home run that gave them the lead.

Westcliff | L, 5-8 | Box Score
The Pirates and Warriors both got off to good starts in the first inning, as a single and home run put Westcliff up 3-0. The Pirates countered immediately with an RBI triple by Halle Magee, followed by an RBI single by Dani Quinn Klein McAlister to make it 3-2.

Fiene was able to throw three shutout innings, but the Warriors got back on the board in the third and fourth with another three runs, two of which were unearned.

Magee got her second RBI of the game on a ground out to score Riffer, but another two runs came in for Westcliff to put the game out of reach 8-3 in the seventh. Park got two more runs in the bottom of the seventh, but the final was 8-5.

Mayville State | W, 2-1 | Box Score
The Pirates and Comets would be in for a nine-inning game to close out Monday with both sides scoreless through seven innings.

Rori Hornung started off the day with 4.2 innings pitched on five hits, one strike out, and zero walks. Tagging in for Hornung was Vaught who essentially was a second starter with the length of this game, as she went 4.2 innings on only two hits and three strikeouts.

Emma James had the go-ahead single in the top of the eighth inning with McAlister starting the inning at second base.

The Comets came back in the bottom of the eighth with an RBI single of their own to tie it at 1-1.

An error would bring Riffer in to score in the ninth and this run would do it as Park won 2-1 after a double play from Faith Tessman at first base to Magee at shortstop to end the game.

Dakota Wesleyan | W, 10-2 | Box Score
A home run got Dakota Wesleyan on the board in the top of the first, but Magee tripled to right field to answer right back. Shelby Sanders knocked in Magee with a sacrifice fly after that to take a 2-1 lead.

Neither side would score again until the fourth inning, as Hornung threw two scoreless innings in the second and third innings.

Dakota Wesleyan tied the game at 2-2 in the fourth, but the Pirates had a big response with a four-run fourth inning to take back the lead. Gilbert had her second home run on the week with a two-run bomb. Then Vaught came through with a two-RBI single and Park led 6-2.

Park was then able to walk it off with an eight-run spread in the fifth inning after another four runs. Emma Reed and Riffer both singled in the bottom of the fifth to bring in runs and with the bases loaded Arndt walked to score another run, as Park won 10-2.

Hornung would pitch 3.2 innings before White replaced her in the fourth. White went 1.1 innings and had three strikeouts without giving up a hit or a walk.

Franklin & Marshall | W, 1-0 | Box Score
The Pirates had a tight contest with the Diplomats of Franklin & Marshall College, a game where one run was the decider.

An error by Franklin & Marshall allowed Magee to hit in Ramsey in the top of the first to take a 1-0 lead.

Rylee Griffin pitched six innings of this contest and struck out five, while only allowing four hits and not walking a batter. This is the first win for the freshman from Eudora in her early Park career.

Vaught did come in for the seventh inning in the one-run contest, striking out two batters in the process for the save.

The Pirates will travel to William Woods University on Tuesday, March 18 for their last non-conference games at 2pm and 4pm. WATCH