EUREKA, MO. – The Beloit College Buccaneers softball team showcased their resilience on Saturday, bouncing back from a narrow shutout in the opening game to secure a high-scoring 13-10 victory over Webster University, earning a hard-fought doubleheader split in Missouri.
Game 1: Webster 3, Beloit 0
In the first matchup, the Buccaneers struggled to find their rhythm against Webster's Kailey Rushman, who threw a complete-game shutout. Despite the loss, Beloit's Avary Briggs (Albany, Wis.) turned in a solid performance in the circle, pitching six innings and striking out three while keeping the Bucs within striking distance for most of the contest.
Beloit's offense managed four hits in the opener. Kaylee Witte (Poplar Grove, IL) led the way with a 2-for-3 performance at the plate, while Allie Gustafson (Beloit, Wis.) provided a spark with a fifth-inning double. Jocelyn Jordan (Beloit, Wis.) also added a single, but the Buccaneers were unable to capitalize, leaving five runners on base.
Game 2: Beloit 13, Webster 10
The narrative shifted dramatically in the nightcap as the Beloit offense came alive, racking up 17 hits in a back-and-forth slugfest.
The Buccaneers wasted no time, taking a 1-0 lead in the first inning when Rachel Overocker (Tinley Park, IL) laced a double to right-center, driving home Gustafson, who had reached on a walk.
Beloit broke the game open in the second inning with a three-run surge. Following singles by Abi Krepelka (Boulder Creek, CA) and G Calderon (Winthrop Harbor, IL), Jessalyn Coppe (Niles, IL) delivered the play of the game—a clutch triple to right-center that cleared the bases. Coppe later scored on a wild pitch to extend the lead to 4-0.
The third inning saw the Buccaneers cross the plate four more times. Overocker and Brinley Richards (Piedmont, OK) each picked up RBIs before Briggs helped her own cause with a 2-RBI single to right-center, pushing the Beloit advantage to 8-2.
After Webster narrowed the gap in the fourth, Beloit's "never-say-die" attitude was on full display in the fifth. Lizzie Paschal (Holbrook, AZ) drove in a run with a bunt single, and Ava Wiegel (Argyle, WI) delivered a massive two-out, 2-RBI single up the middle to score Gustafson and Paloma Reyes (Beloit, Wis.). Kaitlyn Nicholson (Roscoe, Ill) added an insurance run in the sixth with an RBI single to score Calderon, bringing the Beloit total to 13.
On the mound, Abi Krepelka (Boulder Creek, CA) earned the win, battling through six innings of work. After a late push by Webster, Briggs returned to the circle in the seventh inning to shut the door, retiring the side in order to secure the save and the victory.
The Buccaneers head to Oshkosh next weekend for games against UW-Superior and Wisconsin Lutheran on the 1st. First pitch vs UWS is set for 2pm while first pitch against WLC is set for 4 pm. Both games will be played at the UW-Oshkosh Rec Plex.
