Pride come from behind in both games to sweep doubleheader at Judson

ELGIN, Ill. - A midweek non-conference trip across the Mississippi River to Elgin, Ill., the Clarke University softball team was able to push their winning streak to four games with a win in both of their Tuesday afternoon games against Judson University by 4-3 and 10-7 final scores.

The Pride would trail by multiple runs early in each game as they faced a 2-0 deficit after an inning in the opener then also trailed 7-2 after allowing a seven-run bottom of the second following scoring two of their own in the top of the inning.

A Malarie Huseman double and Lily King scoring on a wild pitch in back-to-back innings to tie game one at 2-2 in the third inning but a fourth inning run from the Eagles would help carry a 3-2 lead for JU into the seventh inning.

Clarke would load the bases in the top of the seventh with one out as an Elizabeth Leverton ground ball would be misplayed by the Judson shortstop, leading to Alyssa Roos and Kendall Kasput scoring and the Pride taking a 4-3 lead, which would be the winning score.

Judson's seven-run second inning was capped off by a Katelyn Kiefer grand slam but it was quickly answered by three runs from CU in the third and five more in the fourth to take that 10-7 lead.

Kynadee Harris produced two big swings in the comeback effort with an RBI single in the third and a two-RBI double in the fourth that would end up being the game-winning hit giving the Pride a 9-7 lead before a Mya Durr groundout finished the scoring, giving Clarke an extra run of cushion.

Clarke softball will return to Heart of America Athletic Conference play when they host MidAmerica Nazarene University on Saturday, Apr. 13 with a doubleheader slated to start at 1:00 p.m. CT.