Softball Falls in Close Home Games to William Woods

Marshall, Mo., (March 18, 2026)- The Missouri Valley College softball team played its first home games of the season, debuting the renovated Cargill Field at Indian Foothills Park with a Heart of America Athletic Conference doubleheader against William Woods (Mo.), Wednesday afternoon.  The Vikings fell in the opener, 6-2, followed by a 3-0 loss in game two.

Game one began with both teams stranding one base runner in the top of the first inning.  William Woods followed with production from the plate in the top of the second inning, as the Owls put their first three batters on-base with singles.  Junior Pitcher Chloe Shuff (Cypress, Calif.) then worked a fly-out and a fielder's choice that forced the third base runner out at home.  The next batter cleared the bases with a triple, and WWU moved in front by a 3-0 score.  William Woods tacked on another run in the top of the third, and held a 4-0 advantage going into the bottom of the fifth.  Freshman First Baseman Gabriella White (Pittsburg, Kan.) and Senior Leftfielder Taya Brickner (Fort Collins, Colo.) both singled to open the at-bat for Missouri Valley.  After a pop-out, Sophomore Third Basemen Keira Carvalho (Vista, Calif.) singled to load the bases with one out.  Junior Rightfielder Camryn Dilla (West Des Moines, Iowa) brought home Freshman Pinch Runner Alex Whaley (Greenville, Fla.) on a grounder, and Senior Centerfielder Jesykah Foster (Garden City, Kan.) scored Brickner with a sac-fly to cut the MVC deficit down to 4-2.  The Owls followed with a rally in the top of the sixth, using five walks in the inning to eventually score a pair of runs and extend the team's lead out to 6-2.  After a scoreless bottom of the sixth, Sophomore Pitcher Gabriella Branson (Petersburg, Ill.) struck out two batters in the top of the seventh to strand one runner.  Missouri Valley tried to work a late comeback, as Carvalho and Foster each worked walks in the bottom of the seventh.  However, the two were left on-base to end the inning, and end the game with a 6-2 loss for The Vikings.

White had two hits, while Brickner added one hit and one run scored.  Carvalho had one hit and both Foster and Dilla added one RBI apiece.  

William Woods went in front early in the second game, using a pair of hits and a sac-fly to produce the opening run of the contest, and hold a 1-0 advantage.  Missouri Valley threatened in the bottom half of the inning.  Foster singled to start the at-bat, but was caught stealing.  Later in the inning, Sophomore Second Baseman Allison Loucas (Twin Lakes, Wisc.) reached on a walk, and Senior Shortstop Aniah Castruita (South El Monte, Calif.) singled.  However, the Viking left two runners stranded to end the at-bat.  Sophomore Pitcher Andreina Buonafina (Guatemala) took down the Owls in order in the top of the second inning, striking out one batter.  William Woods followed with another run in the top of the third inning, then added one more run in the top of the fourth to make it a 3-0 score.  Missouri Valley had its first base runner since the first inning when Castruita led off the bottom of the fourth with a single.  However, a double-play off a line out ended the opportunity for the Vikings in the inning.  Branson came in to pitch in the top of the fifth, and took down WWU in order in the inning, then worked around a double in the top of the sixth to keep the score at 3-0.  Loucas worked a walk in the bottom half of the sixth, but was the final MVC batter to reach safely in the game.  The Vikings eventually fell, 3-0.

Castruita led with two hits, while Foster added one hit.  Buonafina pitched four innings, giving up seven hits and two earned runs with three strikeouts.

Missouri Valley drops to 2-18 overall and 0-4 in the Heart.  William Woods improves to 8-9 on the season and 2-0 in the conference.

Up next, the Viking softball team will play a Heart doubleheader on the road, in Olathe, Kan., against MidAmerica Nazarene (Kan.), Friday starting at 4 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.