Blackburn Visits Cornell

MT. VERNON, IA -- The Blackburn College Softball team hit the road for a nonconference matchup with Cornell College but fell to the Rams 9-3 and 11-7. 

Sophomore Kailynn Kruep led the BC offense with three hits and scored three runs. Sophomore Kenadee Frey also add three hits, including a double and a home run. Senior Mckenzie Smith and Grace Mackey both chipped in with two hits. Mackey also scored three hits while hitting a double and a homer, plus finished with three runs batted in. 

Senior Shelby Koenig notched 10 strikeouts in a complete game. 

The Beavers faced a 4-0 deficit heading into the top of the fourth inning. C. Gibson started the inning with walk, then senior Miley Kwiatkowski came in to pinch run for her. Junior Zoe Mitchell followed with a bunt that helped advance Kwiatkowski to second and a throwing error allowed Kwiatkowski to score and put Mitchell on third. During the next at bat, Mackey doubled to score Mitchell. Mackey finished off the scoring by off a throwing error by the Rams on a ball hit by Koenig to make it 4-3. However, Cornell responded with three runs of their own, and added another run in both the fifth and sixth inning to take a 9-3 victory. 

In the second game, Blackburn took a quick lead with three runs in the first inning. Kwiatkowski got on base thanks to a throwing error then stole second. A Kruep single allowed her to score the first run of the game. Mackey followed with a walk before a wild pitch helped put Kruep on third and Mackey on second. Freshman Mailee Schoen came up next and a Cornell error allowed Schoen to reach first and put both Kruep and Mackey across the plate to put the Beavers ahead 3-0. 

Two home runs helped BC extend their lead in the third inning. Frey opened the inning with her first home run of the season. Kruep was up next and singled before scoring on Mackey's first homer of the season to put Blackburn ahead 6-0. 

Cornell answered with one run in the fourth and added two in the fifth, but Kruep scored for the third time when Smith singled to push their lead out to 7-3 in the top of the seventh. Unfortunately, the hosts were able to score eight runs in the bottom of the seventh to win.

The Beavers return to action on Friday, March 14 as they host Dubuque University.