Pride fall in both ends of doubleheader at Evangel

SPRINGFIELD, Mo . - In their final full weekend road trip of the 2023 season, the Clarke University softball team was unable to grab a win in their Saturday doubleheader at Evangel University. 

The Valor were able to secure a run-rule win by a 9-1 final in the opener as they used a four-run third inning to pull ahead and stay ahead despite a Clarke two-run sixth inning to earn a 6-3 win to clinch the sweep.

In both games, the Pride were able to take early 1-0 leads in the top of the first inning as Daija Bates cranked a solo home run in the opener as the Pride's only run while Abby Archer smacked an RBI double in the top of the first in the finale.

Also a similarity for games one and two was that four-run bottom of the third inning as Evangel was able to tie game two in the bottom of the first but then take the lead in the bottom of the third in each while the opener saw EU score three runs in the fourth then another two in the fifth to clinch the 9-1 mercy rule win.

Clarke mounted a bit of a comeback in the finale as they got to within two runs after scoring a pair of in the top of the sixth on an Emma Hodnet two-RBI double but the tying run was stranded on second after back-to-back strikeouts to get out of the inning.

Evangel added an insurance run on a solo home run in the bottom of the sixth then sat down the Pride in order in the seventh to close out their second win of the day.

Pride softball will enter their final week of the season with a pair of dates at home and two others away from Dubuque as they'll play next in Des Moines, Iowa for a makeup doubleheader against Missouri Valley College on Tuesday, Apr. 25.