Wildcats Win Eighth Straight, Sweep Senior Day Weekend

BALDWIN CITY – The seventh-ranked Baker softball team outscored its opponents, 17-3 to complete a four-game sweep over Heart of America Conference foes Missouri Valley and Peru State this past weekend.

Holding their Senior Day ceremony at home on Saturday, the Wildcats defeated the Vikings by scores of 4-1 and 5-1 before going on to take both games of their doubleheader at Peru State on Sunday with a 4-0 victory in game one, followed by a 4-1 win to close out the perfect weekend.

Between games of Saturday's doubleheader, the Wildcats recognized a group of seven seniors that have helped grow the Baker softball program and have shown what it truly means to be a Baker Wildcat. These seniors include, Makayla Akin, Emma Ancira, Masyn Burnsides, Skylar Gorrell, Sydney Goss, Morgan Loggins and Parker Straight.

BU 4, MVC 1
Baker scored a pair of runs in both the third and fourth inning, while starter Gorrell tossed another one-run gem that saw her cruise through six scoreless frames to open the game.

The Wildcats scored all four of their runs by way of the basepaths with Bailey Shuman and Parker Straight teaming up for a double steal to score Shuman. Then, Straight – BU's stolen base leader – swiped third which triggered an errant throw that allowed her to score and make it a two-run lead.

After connecting on back-to-back hits in the bottom of the fourth, Savannah Bray and Emma Ancira were a part of another stolen base situation that resulted in Bray coming home, while Ancira would score in the same manner as Straight from the inning before by scoring herself after stealing third.

BU 5, MVC 1
Four of game two's six runs came in the first inning where the Wildcats followed up a string of two-out hits from the Vikings and plated three runs before adding a couple more later to back Akin in the circle, who pitched over six innings and allowed just one run for her sixth win of the season.

After MVC opened the game with a 1-0 lead, Baker came right back in the bottom of the first to score three runs on three hits, highlighted by an Ancira RBI triple that scored Bray who started the two-out rally with an RBI single.

Ancira added another extra-base hit in her next plate appearance in the fourth with a leadoff double that served as the front end of back-to-back hits as Mary Grace Hess knocked her teammate in with an RBI single.

Shuman scored the day's final run in the bottom of the fifth after pinch-running for Akin, coming home on a wild pitch.

BU 4, PSC 0
Gorrell threw six innings of no-hit ball in Sunday's opener and roped an RBI double in the top of the third as the Wildcats earned their 17th shutout of the year.

Baker scored three runs in the top of the first to begin the game with Straight leading the game off with an infield single before coming across for the first run. Bray and Akin, who reached on consecutive hits, scored the other two runs to give the Wildcats a quick three-run advantage.

In the circle, Gorrell allowed just one baserunner through the first four innings, striking out four in that span. Freshman Kira Baker made a relief appearance in the bottom of the seventh where she struck out a pair to secure the combined shutout.

BU 4, PSC 1
Finch and Gorrell each collected two RBI in Baker's 4-1 win in game two with Gorrell smashing her fifth home run of the 2023 campaign and Akin logging a complete-game performance where she surrendered just three hits.

Once again, the Wildcats were able to score right off the bat with Gorrell driving in Straight in the top of the first after the BU centerfielder drew a leadoff walk.

In the top of the fourth, a one-out single from Loggins followed by a Madison Byerley walk resulted in Baker tacking on two more runs with Loggins and Straight scoring.

After the Bobcats plated a run in the fifth, Akin and the Wildcats defense kept them off the board the rest of the way with Gorrell's homer in the seventh polishing off an 8-0 week for Baker.

Baker heads back to Oskaloosa, Iowa for its makeup series with William Penn on Tuesday, April 25 with game one of the doubleheader starting at 4 p.m.

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