Pride earn split in road doubleheader at Park

PARKVILLE, Mo. - Returning to the road in the Heart of America Athletic Conference, the Clarke University softball team was able to open their weekend with a 4-2 win over Park University before the Pirates exacted revenge with a 4-1 win in the finale.

The Pride victory came behind another strong start from pitcher Malarie Huseman as she allowed just four hits on her way to her seventh victory of the season while striking out four PU hitters of her 28 hitters faced.

Park would jump out in front with a first inning solo home run from Halle Magee as CU would answer a little later with a two-run top of the third inning on a Lily King RBI triple and a sacrifice fly from Daija Bates to score King and make it 2-1 Pride.

Clarke would add what would end up being very important insurance runs in the top of the sixth as an error from the Pirates would score a run before an Alyssa Roos RBI single to make it 4-1 before a Nia Muniz sacrifice fly in the bottom half made it 4-2.

Huseman would leave no doubt in the seventh, shutting the door on the Pirates with a three-up, three-down final frame to close out the 17th win of the season for Clarke.

In the finale, this time it would be Park who would get use a pair of two-run innings to take and grow their lead against CU freshman Meredith Gatto as this time it was a first inning two-run home run for PU as Kal Day made it 2-0 early.

Kaylie Holtam would put the Pride on the board in the top of the third to cut the Pirates lead in half but a double steal from Park and an RBI single from Muniz put two more on the board in the bottom of the third to get Park to their eventual winning score of 4-1.

Pride softball will head over to Peru, Neb. to face the Bobcats of Peru State College, wrapping up their weekend with a Sunday doubleheader starting at 1:00 p.m. CT.