The Truman State softball team went 2-2 on the weekend, dropping a doubleheader at Lewis on Saturday before rebounding with a dominant sweep of Upper Iowa on Sunday.
Game 1: vs. Lewis | March 21 | L, 11-16
The first game of the weekend was a high-scoring affair that saw Emily Wood put together one of the best individual offensive performances of the season. Wood homered to center field in the first inning to put Truman on the board early, and the Bulldogs kept swinging throughout. In the fourth inning, Truman exploded for five runs on three hits. Katie Pilcher led off with a solo home run, Wood followed with a three-run blast to right field, and Cassie Smith capped the inning with an RBI double to push the lead to 6-2. Wood finished the day 3-for-3 with two home runs and five RBI, while Smith went 3-for-5. The Bulldogs drew 11 walks on the day, with Brooke Nutter and Riley Redig each drawing two. Lewis took control in the fifth and sixth innings, however, with Frafjord's grand slam headlining a nine-run fifth that flipped the game. Avaree Taylor started and tossed three shutout innings before the game got away in relief. Despite the outcome, the Bulldogs' offensive output was an encouraging sign.
Game 2: vs. Lewis | March 21 | L, 2-3
The second game was a tight pitching duel that came down to the final play. Truman took a 2-1 lead into the bottom of the seventh after Madison Kluever and Lydia Feiste each drove in a run in the fourth inning, but Lewis walked it off on a two-run Frafjord single to end it 3-2. Kluever was excellent all afternoon, going six and a third innings and striking out five while allowing just two earned runs. Katie Pilcher led the offense with two hits. The Bulldogs had the game in hand heading into the final inning and will look to close out games like this as the season progresses.
Game 3: vs. Upper Iowa | March 22 | W, 11-3
Truman came out swinging Sunday against Upper Iowa, putting up 16 hits in an 11-3 victory. Wood set the tone immediately with a solo home run to right field in the first inning, and Riley Redig added a sacrifice fly to make it 2-0 right away. The Bulldogs added two more in the second on RBI singles by Wood and Smith, then continued to pile on throughout the game. Smith had a remarkable day at the plate, going 5-for-5 to lead all hitters, while Wood finished 3-for-5 with the home run. Kluever earned the win, and Nutter came on in relief to throw three and a third shutout innings, striking out three. The Bulldogs also ran wild on the bases, stealing five in the game.
Game 4: vs. Upper Iowa | March 22 | W, 6-0
Jayda Long capped the weekend with a complete game shutout, holding Upper Iowa hitless through most of the game and finishing with a 6-0 victory. Truman got on the board in the second when Shanna Buford grounded out to score a run, and the Bulldogs added to their lead throughout the game. Pilcher doubled to right-center to score Smith, and finished the day with three hits in four at-bats. Smith drove in one run and the Bulldogs committed no errors in the field. Long's shutout was the signature performance of the weekend, punctuating a strong bounce-back Sunday for Truman.
Up Next:
The Bulldogs improve to 11-21 on the season and will look to carry Sunday's momentum into the remainder of their GLVC schedule. The Bulldogs will now play their longest home stretch of the season, with eight straight games at Bulldogs Softball Park, starting with a doubleheader on Saturday, March 28th against Quincy with first pitch set for noon.
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