Wildcats Take Weekend Opener, Drop Next Three in Tough Iowa Road Trip

CEDAR RAPIDS/DUBUQUE, Iowa - Heading out for its first four-game road trip of Heart play, (RV) Baker softball went 1-3 in its outings at Mount Mercy and Clarke this past weekend with a 6-0 shutout victory in game one of the weekend against the Mustangs.

The Wildcats earned their fourth straight shutout by blanking Mount Mercy in the series opener on Friday before dropping the final three games of the weekend, including a pair of one-run heartbreakers against the Pride on Saturday.

Game 1 - BU 6, MMU 0
The Wildcats scored six or more runs for the third time this conference season and Kira Baker piled up a season-high 13 strikeouts to earn BU's fourth straight shutout with a 6-0 victory in game one.

After a two-run opening frame, Sydney Erlandson placed a ball into right field to drive in a run before Ashlee Jackman's two-run double pushed the Wildcats' lead out to 5-0 in the top of the third.

Mary Grace Hess connected on her fifth home run of the year with a solo shot in the top of the fourth that capped the scoring at 6-0.

In the circle, Baker struck out the side in three of the seven innings and kept a Mustangs squad that had five hits in the game off the scoreboard. Facing a bases-loaded situation in the bottom of the seventh, she struck out the final MMU hitter for her 13th strikeout of the game and secured her fourth shutout of the spring.

Game 2 - MMU 6, BU 0
The two teams flip-flopped scores in the nightcap of Friday's doubleheader with the Mustangs using a four-run fourth inning to split the series on a 6-0 win.

BU starter Tess Eubank pitched a scoreless first three innings where she allowed only one hit before a frustrated Mount Mercy lineup finally broke through in the bottom of the fourth. In the bottom of the fifth, the Mustangs increased their lead with a wild pitch and a two-out single.

The Wildcats had runners in scoring position in the second and fourth innings with both leadoff hitters getting on and then being moved over on sacrifice bunts. Hess' leadoff double in the top of the fourth resulted in her standing at third base with less than two outs, but the Mustangs were able to retire the next two batters to keep BU scoreless.

Game 3 - CU 4, BU 3
After a two-out rally from the Wildcats tied things up in the top of the seventh, Clarke worked a walk-off walk to spoil the comeback and take game one of Saturday's series opener, 4-3.

The Pride scored a run in the second and made it a 3-0 lead in the fifth before Riley Phillips' two-out triple allowed the BU shortstop to come across for the Wildcats' first run of the contest.

Down to their last out and trailing by two, Hess and Madi Ball connected on consecutive doubles with Hess roping an RBI double to the fence and Ball following with a blooping ball to right that brought Hess home for the game-tying run.

Clarke used a hit by pitch and two additional free passes to walk things off in the bottom of the seventh, including the game-winning walk that gave the hosts the game-one win.

Game 4 - CU 1, BU 0
The Pride scored the game's only run in the bottom of the sixth to come out on top of a pitcher's duel, 1-0 and earn the conference sweep with another one-run victory in game two of the doubleheader.

Barchak surrendered just one hit through the first four innings and tried to match a CU starter that kept the BU lineup at bay with only three hits scratched against her.

A leadoff double by Savannah Bray to open the seventh looked to spark another late game-tying rally for BU, but the Pride got a pair of flyouts and a strikeout to give the Wildcats their fifth road setback of the season.

Dropping five of their six games away from Baldwin City this season, the Wildcats return to Cavaness Field where they are 10-1 for a conference matchup with Peru State on Saturday, April 13 at 1 p.m.

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