Pride continue dominant pitching in doubleheader sweep of Baker

DUBUQUE, Iowa - Looking to snap a skid that lasted five games dating back to last weekend, the Clarke University softball team pulled off a pair of wins against Baker University by 4-3 and 1-0 final scores on Saturday afternoon at Veterans Memorial Park.

Both wins came behind late runs as the opening 4-3 win was salvaged from a comeback effort by the Wildcats as they made a 3-0 game in the sixth inning a 3-3 game by the end of the top of the seventh.

The Pride would get the leadoff batter on base via a hit by pitch before Elizabeth Leverton singled then Emma Hodnet walked to load the bases before Kynadee Harris would draw a one out walk with the bases loaded to score Kaylie Holtam from third to win the game for CU.

Daija Bates would score the opening run of the game on a passed ball after she led off the bottom of the second with a walk then Hodnet would extend the lead to 3-0 with a two-RBI double in the bottom of the fifth.

These runs were all in support of Malarie Huseman, who got zero runs of support in her 10-inning effort a day before to pick up her fifth win of the season on Saturday with a complete game seven-hitter while striking out six BU batters as two of her three runs allowed were earned.

Clarke's 1-0 win in the finale was due in large part to the first career shutout from freshman Meredith Gatto as the Dubuque native only allowed three hits while only striking out one batter as there were only two strikeouts combined in the entire game.

The Pride scored their game-winning run in the bottom of the sixth inning on a Bates two-out RBI single as Holtam scored her third run of the day after leading off the inning with a single of her own.

Clarke softball moves to 11-15 and 3-9 in the Heart of America Athletic Conference as they'll take a brief swing at a non-conference opponent when they travel to Elgin, Ill. to face Judson University on Tuesday, Apr. 9 with first pitch of the doubleheader scheduled to begtin at 3:00 p.m. CT.