Eagles Collect Six Wins in Missouri
MetroSportsReport.com
The fifth-ranked Kirkwood softball team traveled down to Missouri for six games at the Crowder Bash in Joplin, Missouri this weekend, and came home with six wins.
On Friday's opening round, sophomore Monika Bevans hit for the cycle and drove in three runs as the Eagles knocked off Northeast Oklahoma A&M College, 5-2, at the Crowder Bash in Joplin, Mo.
Northeast Oklahoma was ranked No. 6 in the NJCAA Division I poll this week.
The Eagles also topped Carl Albert, 7-1, in their second game on Friday.
Kenady Waugh delivered a sacrifice fly for Kirkwood in the 5-2 verdict over Northeast Oklahoma. DoniRae Mayhew collected the win and Natalie Halvorson got the save in relief.
Halvorson returned to the circle for the game against Carl Albert and tossed a four-hitter with five strikeouts and one walk.
Rachel Stewart went 2-for-4 with a double and two RBIs. Waugh also went 2-for-4. Audra Bridenstine contributed two RBIs against Carl Albert and Bevans had another RBI.
Kirkwood scored all seven of its runs against Carl Albert in the second inning.
The following day, sophomore Sonya McCormick guided the Eagles to two more wins. McCormick, who had gotten off to a slow start with the Kirkwood softball team this year after transferring from Iowa Central, changed that on Saturday.
McCormick went 6-for-7 with a two-run homer and six RBIs on the day.
McCormick, a third baseman, went 3-for-3 with a home run and three RBIs in a 14-0 victory over Allen County, then she went 3-for-4 with three more RBIs in a 12-4 verdict over Three Rivers.
McCormick raised her batting average from .167 to a much healthier .323 with her performance. She hit .368 with 11 homers and 54 RBIs as a freshman at Iowa Central last season.
Monika Bevans went 5-for-7 Saturday with four doubles and six RBIs.
Rachel Stewart was 2-for-2 and scored three runs in the victory over Allen County. Bri Smith was also 2-for-2. Lauren Kuch and Miranda Kaste scored two runs.
The Eagles exploded for nine runs in the second inning and added four more runs in the fourth.
DoniRae Mayhew was the winning pitcher in Game 1. Kaste made her first pitching appearance of the season in relief and faced three batters.
Kuch went 2-for-3 with a two-run homer and four RBIs in the 12-4 victory over Three Rivers. Audra Bridenstine drove in two runs and scored twice. Kaste had two hits and Hannah Mausser drove in two runs. Kenady Waugh was hit by a pitch on three occasions and scored twice.
Natalie Halvorson pitched six innings for the win.
The Eagles finished the weekend with a perfect 6-0 record at the Crowder Bash by winning two more games Sunday.
The fifth-ranked Eagles blanked Labette, 5-0, in their first game and defeated Murray State, 11-4, in their second contest.
Rachel Stewart went 7-for-9 in the two games with three doubles, four runs and five RBIs. She was 2-for-4 against Labette and 5-for-5 against Murray State.
Monika Bevans was 5-for-7 Sunday with a two-run homer and four RBIs. She also walked twice and scored three runs. Hannah Mausser finished 4-for-6 with two walks.
DoniRae Mayhew took a perfect game into the sixth inning against Labette and finished with a three-hitter with three strikeouts.
Audra Bridenstine had two hits and scored two runs against Murray State. She also made three outstanding plays in center field, sliding and diving to make catches.
Bri Smith scored two runs against Murray State. Natalie Halvorson pitched a complete game for the victory, allowing three earned runs with three strikeouts.
Kirkwood raised its record to 15-1.
