Winfield, Kan. – The Friends University Falcons extended their season-long winning streak to seven games by romping the Southwestern College Lady Builders in two run-rule victories, 8-0 and then 19-2 today (Apr. 17) in Winfield, Kan. The winning streak has moved the Falcons into a tie for third in the KCAC at 15-7 in the league, with a 27-15 overall mark.
The Falcons jumped on top in the opening tilt with a pair of runs in the first inning on a sacrifice fly by Priscilla Mora and an RBI single from Vanessa Sigala.
In the second inning, Makenna Mitchell tripled in Laila Spracklen before scoring on a groundout by Jayden Estabrook to make it 4-0.
Spracklen followed that with a two-run single in the third and a sacrifice fly by Becca Dunn was followed by another RBI single from Sigala in the fourth frame.
Riley Wertz struck out 11 batters, just two shy of her career-high with just two hits allowed in the five inning shutout win.
Spracklen was a perfect 3-of-3 at the plate, while Sigala, Mitchell and Fallyn Marshall each contributed two hits in the Falcons' opening game victory.
The Falcons then unloaded 19 hits fueled by two hits from seven different players in the nightcap rout.
A two-run single by Regan Wright gave Southwestern a 2-1 lead in the first, but it was short-lived as the Falcons caught fire for six runs in the second inning behind RBI triples from both Elena Montoya and Mora along with run-scoring doubles from Mitchell and Carolyn Dallimore.
Friends continued to pour it on when Mora launched her team-leading 11th home run of the season, a two-run blast that kicked off a seven-run explosion in the third inning.
Estabrook and Montoya finished the big frame with RBI singles before Isabella Frias put a bow on the win with first career RBI on a single that plated Gisselle Gutierrez.
Mora and Montoya each finished the second game with three RBIs, with Dallimore, Dunn, Spracklen and Mitchell driving in two runs apiece.
In the circle, Spracklen won her 10th game of the season with eight strikeouts and two runs allowed over five innings.
Tiara Henry went 2-of-3 for Southwestern (4-32, 1-21 KCAC) from the leadoff spot in the nightcap.
The Falcons will look to keep things rolling at McPherson on Saturday (Apr. 20) starting at 1 pm in McPherson, Kan.
