Great Bend, Kan. – The third-seeded Friends University Falcons have now won 14 straight games, with this latest 3-2 victory over the top-seeded Evangel University Valor today (May 2) resulting in an opportunity for the program's third KCAC tournament championship in the past six seasons at the Great Bend Sports Complex in Great Bend, Kan. The opponent in tomorrow's title game will again be Evangel, who defeated Tabor College 6-0 later in the evening to stay alive in the tourney.
With the stage set for the ultimate pitcher's duel featuring KCAC Pitcher of the Year Maddy Meierer and fellow unanimous first-team All-KCAC pitcher Riley Wertz, it was Wertz that got the better of today's matchup with just two runs allowed over seven innings.
The Falcons had to grind through this tough matchup, as an RBI double by Priscilla Mora plated Fallyn Marshall with the go-ahead run in the fifth.
Carolyn Dallimore then scored what proved to be an invaluable insurance tally on a groundout by Laila Spracklen later in the fifth inning.
The second run in the fifth was critical due to a solo homer by Ellie Facklam in the bottom of the sixth that made it a one-run game.
From there, Wertz retired the next four Valor hitters she faced, including the side in order in the seventh to finish the complete game victory for the Falcons.
"The whole team is so locked in, it's incredible to see their confidence in each other!" said Friends softball head coach Suzanne Unruh. "The sky is the limit with this group and it showed in today's battle with Evangel!"
Marshall and Vanessa Sigala each delivered two hits to spark the Falcon offense, with Makenna Mitchell scoring Sigala with an RBI single in the second inning for the first run of the game.
Meierer was also solid for Evangel, striking out six with three runs allowed over seven innings in suffering just her second loss of the season.
Tomorrow's championship game will start at 1:30 pm, with the Falcons needing just one victory to clinch the title and the Valor needing to win twice. Should Evangel win the first game, an if necessary game would take place at approximately 4 pm.
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