Huseman's dominance and timely hitting leads Pride to split doubleheader against Graceland
DUBUQUE, Iowa - Playing their first home games of the 2024 season, the Clarke University softball team broke a four-game skid in the Heart of America Athletic Conference with a doubleheader split against Graceland University on Friday afternoon.
The Pride earned a 4-0 shutout win behind a three-hit shutout from senior Malarie Huseman as she struck out eight batters and also walked three to pick up her fourth win of the season and lowering her ERA to 2.56.
As the game went scoreless through the first 2.5 innings, the Pride broke through with the first run of the game on a Kaylie Holtam RBI single in the bottom of the third to score Elizabeth Leverton and make it a 1-0 game.
The next inning it would be Leverton at the plate with two outs and runners on second and third as she would ground a ball to center field, driving in both Kynadee Harris and Leah Gray to extend the lead to 3-0 before Leverton would add another RBI in the bottom of the sixth with a double to right-center to score Harlee Makue-Vasconcellos to put it at the final score of 4-0 while Leverton would finish the game either driving in or scoring all four runs for CU.
Game two would see Clarke outhit the Yellowjackets again but not come up with the same timely hits as they did in the opener, as the big swing of the game came off the bench for GU when Marissa Buckallew hit a three-run pinch hit home run to break a 1-1 tie in the top of the sixth to put the game at its eventual final score of 4-1.
That swing spoiled an otherwise strong pitching performance from Meredith Gatto as the freshman from Dubuque threw her own complete game allowing just three hits but also walking four and finishing with five strikeouts.
Gatto's counterpart in Graceland starting pitcher Allison Rebling pitched her way in and out of trouble all game to finish with a complete game seven-hitter, allowing one earned run with five walks and nine strikeouts.
Rebling allowed a Pride hitter to reach base in every inning but the second as she also allowed at least two batters to reach in all but one of those innings as she was able to seal the win with a strikeout as CU loaded the bases with two outs, bringing the go-ahead run to the plate.
Leverton would finish with another three-hit game to finish the day going 6-for-8 as Emma Hodnet also finished both games with two hits and Holtam had three hits combined on the day.
Clarke softball will wrap up their weekend with a Saturday road trip to Des Moines, Iowa to face No. 16 Grand View University for a doubleheader that will begin with a 1:00 p.m. CT first pitch of game one.