Pride comebacks fall short in Heart openers against Missouri Valley

MARSHALL, Mo. - Returning from their spring break trip to begin play in the Heart of America Athletic Conference, the Clarke University softball team dropped a pair of tight games against Missouri Valley College on the road on Friday.

In both ends of the doubleheader the Vikings would jump out to early leads in the form of a 2-0 lead through two innings in the opener than a 5-1 lead in the finale after CU scored a run in the top of the first, just for MVC to get one in the bottom half of the first then four in the second.

Doing significant damage from the top of the order was Missouri Valley's leadoff hitter Caitlyn Vela as she finished with four total RBIs and three runs scored in the two games including a 3-for-3 performance with all three of the teams RBIs and scoring the fourth run in the 4-3 win in game one.

After scoring two runs in the fourth inning to extend their lead to 4-0, that would be just enough runs for starting pitcher Kim Horsten as she pitched a complete game to hang on to the victory despite giving up three runs to the Pride in the top of the seventh inning as the tying run would be stranded on first base to end the game.

Malarie Huseman would pitch a complete game of her own allowing seven hits and one walk to give up the four earned runs while striking out six MVC batters as Huseman would also produce offensively with a two-RBI single to get CU on the board in the seventh.

Clarke's offense would begin their comeback effort in the finale a little sooner than the opener as they would put up three runs in the top of the third to cut into the 5-1 lead and make it 5-2 on a Kaylie Holtam RBI single before Daija Bates produced a two-RBI double to make it a one-run game.

The Vikings would add another run in the fourth against Meredith Gatto as the freshman would finish her Heart debut with a six-inning complete game allowing nine hits and three walks to only strikeout one hitter.

The Pride will head to Fayette, Mo. for a weekend-ending doubleheader against Central Methodist University with game one's first pitch scheduled to take place at 2:00 p.m. CT.