Park University's softball program was in Oskaloosa, Iowa on Friday, March 28 to face William Penn University in another bout of Heart of America Athletic Conference play. The Statesmen edged Park in game one, but Park was solid in game two for the split, 6-10 and 7-2.

Park began the Heart schedule 4-0, but after the Iowa trip they now are at 5-3 with a 17-9 overall record, while William Penn stands at 19-9 and 3-1 in the conference.

L, 6-10 | Box Score
It was an uphill battle from the start, as William Penn was able to send out a grand slam to make it 4-0 in the bottom of the first inning on three hits and two walks.

In the top of the second, the Pirates backed up their pitcher with a four-run second inning on three hits and two errors. A lead-off walk to Shelby Sanders and a double by Chloe Gilbert set up Dani-Quinn Klein McAlister for an RBI single. Park stayed on the offensive with Faith Tessman's single through the left side, and then a ground out by Caroline Ray scored a run and a throwing error allowed another run to come in for the tie.

Lauren Fiene settled in and threw two scoreless innings after the bottom of the first and the Pirates scored two more in the top of the fourth to take the lead, 6-4. A groundout by Sanders scored Riffer from third and then a wild pitch on a strike three paved the way for Gracie Ramsey to come in to score.

The Statesmen finished strong though and scored six runs in the last three innings, while keeping Park scoreless for the 10-6 win.

Fiene went 4.1 innings pitched with six hits, her second consecutive game of five walks, and allowed seven runs. Rylee Griffin came in to relieve and allowed three runs on three hits.

Gilbert was the only Pirate to have a multi-hit game and had the lone extra base-hit for Park.

W, 7-2 | Box Score
Four errors plagued the Statesmen in game two and Park immediately benefited with Ramsey scoring in the top of the first on an overthrow to first. Gilbert kept it up at the plate and singled but an error then allowed Magee to come all the way around to score, 2-0.

A two-run home run tied it for the Statesmen in the bottom of the second, but Myel White pitched six shutout innings outside of that for the complete game with four strikeouts.

The Pirates battled back and maintained the lead in the latter innings, as a RBI double by Sanders was the go-ahead run Park needed in the third inning.

Another throwing error in the fifth allowed two runs to roll in to make it 5-2, and then in the same inning Faith Tessman singled to make it 6-2. For good measure the Pirates added another run in the seventh on a ground out to get to the 7-2 win.

Sanders had a three hit game, while Ramsey was also with multiple hits with two singles and a stolen base.

Park will host Baker University tomorrow, April 2 at 1pm and 3pm for another Heart doubleheader at the Park Softball Complex. WATCH