Blackburn Splits SLIAC Doubleheader

WEBSTER GROVES, MO – The Blackburn College Softball team visited Webster University for St. Louis Intercollegiate Athletic Conference action and split their doubleheader with the Gorloks. The Beavers captured the first game 5-2 before dropping the second game 8-6. 

Sophomore Kenadee Frey hit her eighth home run of the season and led the team with a total of four hits and scored three runs. Junior Caroline Gibson added two doubles, three runs batted in and scored two runs. Senior Miley Kwiatkowski and freshman Mailee Schoen tallied three hits each. Senior Grace Mackey tied Gibson for the team with three RBI's. 

Senior Shelby Koenig notched five strike outs and collected her eighth win of the season in the opener. 

Blackburn got the first run of the day in the second inning. Gibson doubled to open the inning and advancing to third due to a groundout, she scored off senior Grace Mackey's single. 

Leading 1-0 heading into the third inning, Frey added to their lead with a leadoff homer run. Junior Zoe Mitchell followed by getting hit by a pitch, stole second, got to third on a groundout, and scored when Gibson singled to the outfield. Junior Briana Melchor then walked before sophomore Sierra Kiser hit her first career home run and put BC ahead 5-0. 

Webster answered with a run in the bottom of the third and fourth inning but the Blackburn defense kept the hosts scoreless the final three innings to get the win. 

The nightcap saw the Beavers score first in the second inning again. Mitchell started the inning with a double and Schoen walked. A sacrifice bunt advanced the pair up a base. Mackey followed with a walk but the wild pitch on the fourth called ball allowed Mitchell to score. 

Webster responded with three runs in the inning to lead 3-1 but Blackburn rallied with three runs in the top of the third to retake the lead. Frey, Schoen and Gibson loaded the bases before senior Makenzie Smith singled to score Frey. Mackey followed with a double and scored Gibson and Schoen, giving the Beavers a 4-3 advantage. 

Unfortunately, Webster scored three runs in the bottom of the inning and scored a run in both the fourth and fifth inning, taking an 8-4 lead. 

Frey helped the Beavers inch closer with a lead off single in the top of the seventh. Schoen moved Frey to third with her own single and Gibson scored he pair with another double to make it 8-6. However, the two runs would not be enough as Webster collected the 8-6 win. 

The Beavers move to 13-12 on the season and 5-3 in conference play. The team will host Lyon College in another SLIAC doubleheader Thursday.