Softball Splits Sunday Doubleheader Against Kansas Wesleyan

Goodwell, Okla., (Feb. 23, 2025)- The Missouri Valley College softball team continued its season with a non-conference doubleheader against Kansas Wesleyan, Saturday afternoon in Goodwell, Okla.  The Vikings dropped the first game, 11-6, then responded with a 4-2 win in game two, splitting the doubleheader.

Kansas Wesleyan went in front early in the first game, using two hits and one MVC error to produce three runs and hold a 3-0 lead.  The Coyotes added another pair of runs in the top of the second inning to make it a 5-0 score.  Missouri Valley got one of those runs back in the bottom half of the inning, as Junior First Baseman Olivia Bettencourt (Murrieta, Calif.) led off with a single, and eventually came home on a Sophomore Designated Player Quinlynn Keller (Galt, Calif.) double which cut the deficit down to 5-1.  Kansas Wesleyan tacked on one run in the top of the third, while MVC produced from the plate again in the bottom half.  A single by Senior Leftfielder Audrey Short (St. Joseph, Ill.) allowed Junior Rightfielder Ella Dillon (Sumner, Wash.) to score, while an error on the play brought home Junior Centerfielder Jesykah Foster (Garden City, Kan.), as the gap was cut down to 6-3.  Sophomore Pitcher Chloe Shuff (Cypress, Calif.) took down KWU in order in the top of the fourth, striking out one batter, then worked around a leadoff double in the fifth to keep the team scoreless.

Missouri Valley was unable to shrink the deficit in the bottom of the fifth, and Kansas Wesleyan strung together a rally in the top of the sixth inning.  Four hits and one error allowed five runners to reach home as the Coyote lead sat at 11-3.  The Vikings worked back into the game in the bottom of the sixth, which started on a Junior Third Baseman Kyleigh Villarreal (Fenton, Mo.) walk, followed by a Keller single.  Freshman Second Baseman Allison Loucas (Twin Lakes, Wisc.) grounded to the pitcher, but an error on the play allowed Villarreal to score.  Later in the at-bat, another error, this time on a Junior Rightfielder Taya Brickner (Fort Collins, Colo.) grounder, brought home Keller.  The rally was capped when Loucas scored on a Foster single, and the deficit sat at 11-6.  However, the Vikings were unable to produce another long at-bat in the bottom of the seventh inning, and fell, 11-6.

Keller led with two hits, one run and one RBi.  Bettencourt added two hits and one run, while Short had two hits and one RBI.  Foster totaled one hit, one run and one RBI.  Shuff picked up the loss, going 5.1 innings, giving up nine hits and six earned runs with three strikeouts.

The second game opened with Missouri Valley getting out of a jam, as Junior Catcher Sarah De Leon (Los Angeles, Calif.) threw out a runner trying to steal second base, and Villarreal struck out one batter to keep the teams scoreless.  The Vikings broke the tie in the bottom half of the inning, as Foster reached on an error, and eventually stole two bases.  Junior Shortstop Aniah Castruita (South El Monte, Calif.) reached on an error that allowed Foster to score from third base, and MVC moved ahead, 1-0.  Kansas Wesleyan threatened again in the third, putting its leadoff batter on-base, but Villarreal got out of the situation to leave the runner stranded.  Missouri Valley added to its lead in the bottom of the third, as the bases were loaded with a walk from De Leon, single by Freshman Rightfielder Morgan Clubb and Loucas reaching on an error.  Keller drove home De Leon from third, and MVC made it a 2-0 score.  Villarreal faced the minimum in the top of the fourth, while the bottom of the fourth featured First Baseman Addison Bartlett opening the at-bat with a double, and later coming home after an error allowed Foster to reach safely.

Trailing by a 3-0 score in the top of the fifth, the Coyotes worked back into the game, using two hits and one walk to produce two runs and cut the gap down to 3-2.  The Vikings left a pair stranded in the bottom of the sixth, while a pair of strikeouts for Villarreal kept the potential game-tying run for KWU on-base to end the inning.  Missouri Valley padded its lead in the bottom of the sixth, as Short came home on a Foster liner to centerfield, stretching the advantage to 4-2.  Kansas Wesleyan put a runner on-base with one out, but a fielder's choice and pop-fly, both hit to Castruita at short, secured a 4-2 win for Missouri Valley.

Keller led with two hits and one RBI, while Foster had one run and two RBI's.  Bartlett added one hit and one run.  Villarreal went the complete-game, giving up six hits and two earned runs with six strikeouts.

The split moves Missouri Valley to 1-3 on the season, while Kansas Wesleyan sits at 2-2.  

Up next, the Viking softball team is scheduled to be in Kansas City, Mo., for a non-conference doubleheader against Avila (Mo.), Wednesday.  Game one starts at 1 p.m.

Game 1 Box Score-Click Here

Game 2 Box Score-Click Here

About Missouri Valley College

Known for its dynamic, richly diverse, and friendly educational environment, Missouri Valley College offers many opportunities to grow in mind, body, and spirit. Grounded in the liberal arts, undergraduate studies empower students to master interdisciplinary skills needed to succeed in a knowledge-based global society. MVC offers over 30 academic programs, study abroad program, extracurricular activities, and a wide variety of sports. The most popular majors include education and business, criminal justice and exercise science. Above all, Valley is committed to student success. For more information, call (660) 831-4000 or visit www.moval.edu.