Softball team belts 9 more homers

IOWA FALLS - The Kirkwood Eagles played home-run derby again Wednesday.

The seventh-ranked Eagles socked nine homers and swept Ellsworth, 15-1 and 13-6, in an ICCAC twin bill in Iowa Falls.

Kirkwood has belted 69 home runs this season, the second-most in NJCAA Division II softball.

Sydney Albaugh and Randyn Carter hit a pair of home runs in the 15-1 victory in the opener. Angie Gorkow and Brooke Kilburg also had round-trippers in the game.

Gorkow, Kilburg and Carter belted back-to-back-to-back homers in the fifth inning when the Eagles scored 11 runs.

Albaugh was 4-for-4 with two doubles, two homers, three runs and four RBIs. She ranks fifth in the nation with 14 homers and is seventh with 47 RBIs while hitting a robust .457.

Carter, who returned to the lineup after battling an injury, was 3-for-3 with two runs and three RBIs. Haley Jarrett drove in two runs. Olivia Richards, Peggy Klingler and Kilburg scored twice.

Kori Wedeking (16-2) pitched a two-hitter with four strikeouts in the opener. Her 16th victories rank second in the country.

Richards, who moved into the leadoff spot in the batting order Wednesday, went 4-for-4 with two doubles, a homer, three runs and two RBIs in the 13-6 conquest in Game 2.

Emilee Linder and Reagan Schutte also hit home runs in the second game. Albaugh was 2-for-4 with two runs and three RBIs. Linder went 2-for-5 with two runs and three RBIs. Jessie Frasher was 2-for-4 and scored twice. Klingler had two hits. Carter scored twice. Alecea Mendoza had two RBIs.

Payton Akers (8-3) picked up the victory in relief. She allowed one run in 4 1/3 innings with seven strikeouts.

Kirkwood raised its records to 29-8 overall and 18-4 in the conference. The Eagles are locked in a tight race for the ICCAC title with DMACC, which sits in first place at 17-3.

Ellsworth fell to 12-18 overall and 9-15 in the conference.