The Monmouth College softball team dropped a pair of close games on the road to Westminster on Sunday, falling 4-2 and 4-3.
The first game was scoreless through three innings as Lizzie Durfee (Arlington, Washington) kept the Bluejays off the board. But in the fourth Westminster plated three runs with a bases loaded walk and a 2-run single.
The Scots came right back with a pair in the fourth. Alexis Hardy (Rushville, Illinois) led off with a single and moved to second on a single by Karliegh Ashby (Monmouth, Illinois). Grace Wyman (Pekin, Illinois) singled to load the bases and two runs scored on a single by Savannah Powers (Volo, Illinois).
Down 4-2, Monmouth rallied in both the sixth and seventh but fell short. Kendall Lewis (Cambridge, Illinois) doubled to start the sixth but was stranded at second. In the seventh, Ashby led off with a single and Wyman walked to put the tying runs on base. After a double steal, the Scots lost a runner between third and home on a fielders; choice and a line drive double play ended the game.
Durfee took the loss with four strikeouts in 3 innings. Kayleigh Cobb (Pawnee, Illinois) struck out one in 2 innings of relief, allowing one run.
GAME TWO
Monmouth took the lead early in game two. Maddie Hepner (Alexis, Illinois) reached on a dropped third strike in the top of the first and scored on a double by Brooklyn Millhollin (Peoria, Illinois).
With Alyssa Hefflefinger (Olin, Iowa) keeping the Bluejays off the board, Millhollin made it 2-0 with a solo home run in the top of the third. The blast is her first as a college player and the first for the Fighting Scots in 2025.
After the Bluejays got on the board in the third. Monmouth answered in the fourth. Mackenzie Gerard (Jacksonville, Illinois) led off with a walk and Riley King (Aledo, Illinois) singled and Addie Narlock (Antioch, Illinois) was hit by a pitch to load the bases. With one out, Wyman drove in Gerard with a sacrifice fly for a 3-1 lead.
The Bluejays tied the game in the fifth with two walks, an error and a single. Neither team scored in the sixth and Monmouth left a runner on base in the seventh. McKealey Klkkoenga (Delavan, Illinois) took the loss in the seventh as Westminster won the game with a leadoff walk, sacrifice bunt and walk-off single.
MONMOUTH MOMENTS: Ashby had two hits and scored in a run in the opener and is now 8-for-18 on the season with seven runs scored ... Wyman had two hits and a walk in game one and a RBI in game two ... Millhollin had three hits on the day including a double and a home run ... Hardy had hits in both games ... Lewis is now tied for 15th on the career doubles list with 19 ... Hefflefinger struck out five for the second straight day ... The Scots outhit Westminster on the day 16-10 but issued 10 walks ... Monmouth's next eight games are in Florida on the Spring Break trip ... They play Nebraska Wesleyan and Webster on Monday, March 10 at the USSSA Space Coast Facility in Melbourne, Florida ... The home opener is March 18 against Illinois Wesleyan.
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