Softball Drops Pair of Close Games at Baker

Baldwin City, Kan., (April 18, 2025)- The Missouri Valley College softball team traveled to Baldwin City, Kan., for a Friday afternoon Heart of America Athletic Conference doubleheader against Baker (Kan.).  The Vikings fell in a pair of low-scoring games by scores of 2-0 and 2-1.

The first game started with Baker threatening in the bottom of the first inning, using a pair of singles to put two runners on-base with one out.  Sophomore Pitcher Chloe Shuff (Cypress, Calif.) worked out of the jam with a groundout and an inning-ending strikeout to leave the runners stranded.  Shuff struck out another batter in the second, and faced the minimum through the bottom of the fourth inning.  The Wildcats put their leadoff batter on base with a single, but Shuff worked a pair of groundouts and a fly-out to end the threat and keep the game scoreless.  After a scoreless top of the fifth, the Vikings came up with an inning-ending double-play in the bottom half, started by Sophomore Third Baseman Quinlynn Keller (Galt, Calif.) to send the game into the sixth still tied at 0-0.  Baker produced from the plate in the bottom of the sixth, using a pair of singles, and a walk and a sac-fly to score two runs, and claim a late lead.  The top of the seventh started with a walk from Senior Rightfielder Audrey Short (St. Joseph, Ill.), and MVC had the tying run at the plate with no outs.  However, Missouri Valley could not put another runner on-base, and fell, 2-0.

Shuff pitched six innings, giving up six hits with one earned run and three strikeouts. 

Baker took an early lead in the second, using a solo homer in the bottom of the second inning to move ahead, 1-0.  Freshman Pitcher Andreina Buonafina got out of a two-on, one-out jam in the bottom of the second inning, stranding the two runners on-base, then took down the Wildcats in order in the bottom of the third.  Missouri Valley stayed at the one-run deficit until the top of the sixth inning.  Junior Shortstop Aniah Castruita (South El Monte, Calif.) reached safely on a single, then came home on a two-out single from Freshman Second Baseman Allison Loucas (Twin Lakes, Wisc.) to tie the contest at 1-1.  Bounafina followed by facing the minimum in the bottom of the sixth, then worked around a leadoff single in the bottom of the seventh to keep the teams tied and send the game into extra-innings.  Both teams struggled to produce baserunners in the eighth and ninth innings, as the game went into the tenth still tied at 1-1.  Using the international tiebreaker rule, the top of the tenth began with a runner at second base.  Junior Catcher Makayla Casjens (Galt, Calif.) moved Junior First Baseman Olivia Bettencourt (Murrieta, Calif.) to third base on a sac-bunt, but the runner was stranded at third.  Baker followed with a sac-bunt to move its runner to third base, and followed with a single to drive the runner home, and give Missouri Valley a 2-1 defeat.

Loucas finished with two hits and one RBI, and Castruita had one hit and one run.  Buonafina pitched 9.1 innings, giving up eight hits and one earned run.

Up next, the Viking softball team will travel to Atchison, Kan., for a Heart doubleheader against Benedictine (Kan.), Saturday at 1 p.m.

Game 1 Box Score-Click Here

Game 2 Box Score-Click Here

About Missouri Valley College

Standing out as one of the most innovative and student-focused liberal arts colleges in the Midwest, Missouri Valley College (MVC) is committed to preparing students for success beyond the classroom. Through the Viking Voyage program, MVC prioritizes career readiness from day one, equipping students with the knowledge and skills needed to excel after graduation. Each of MVC's 30+ in-demand majors—including nursing, business, cybersecurity, computer science, criminal justice, and exercise science—integrates personal instruction, experiential learning, and professional opportunities to prepare graduates to thrive in a rapidly changing and globally connected world. At Missouri Valley College, higher education is more than earning a degree—it's a transformative journey that begins with the end.