Softball Team Wins Avila Tourney Title

BLUE SPRINGS, Mo. – Outscoring opponents 53-2 over seven games, the USAO softball team cruised to the Avila Tournament championship last weekend. The sixth-ranked Drovers won seven games, including six shutouts, for their first outright tournament title this season.

On Sunday, USAO defeated conference-rival St. Gregory’s 3-0 in the championship game, and beat No. 12 Bacone College 6-0 in the semifinals. In pool play on Saturday and Sunday, the Drovers cruised past all four opponents, including an 8-0 win over Graceland, Iowa, an 8-0 victory over Benedictine, Kan., a 12-2 win over Kansas Wesleyan, a 7-0 victory over Bethany, Kan., and an 8-0 win over Missouri Valley.

With the seven wins, No. 6 USAO improves to 27-7 overall. On Tuesday, the Drovers are scheduled for a 2 p.m. doubleheader at Oklahoma Christian, and hosts St. Gregory’s Thursday in a 2 p.m. twin bill at Bill Smith Ballpark. On Friday and Saturday, USAO is scheduled to compete in the Capital City Classic in Oklahoma City.

USAO 3, St. Gregory’s 0 (championship)

USAO scored two runs in the top of the third and added another in the fifth for a 3-0 win over St. Gregory’s for the Dennis Gault Tournament championship. St. Gregory’s only opportunity to score came in the bottom of the sixth, when the Cavaliers had runners at first and second base with two outs.

In a two-run, second inning, junior Amanda Cotton belted her seventh double of the season to score senior Crystal Judkins and freshman Jennifer Bridgeforth. Junior Stephanie Hey opened the inning with a single, and Bridgeforth entered as a pinch runner. Judkins walked, and junior Courtney Foley reached on an error.

Foley opened the fifth inning with a single, and scored on junior Dana Askins’ triple to center field.  Foley (2-for-4), Askins (2-for-4), and Hey (2-for-3) had multiple hits for USAO. Cotton, Askins, and junior Kindra Gregory had extra-base hits. Gregory (13-3) struck out six and allowed four hits in her third complete-game shutout in the tourney.

USAO 6, Bacone 0 (semifinals)

USAO scored runs in four of six innings, including two in the top of the third and two in top of the fifth, for a 6-0 win over 12^th-ranked Bacone College. The Warriors could manage only three hits in the game, and never had a realistic chance to score.

The Drovers opened the game with a run in the top of the first on a sacrifice fly from Askins to score Judkins, who singled to open the inning. In the second inning, freshman Tanna Truelove hit an infield single to score Foley, and Gregory drew a bases-loaded walk to score Askins for a 3-0 lead.

Askins opened the fifth with a double, and scored three batters later on a single by junior Nikki Aguilar. Two batters later, Hey singled to score Truelove. The Drovers capped the game in the sixth on a Truelove’s double to score Askins. Askins (2-for-2), Truelove (2-for-3), and Hey (2-for-3) had multiple hits for USAO. Askins (14-4) struck out nine and scattered three hits in the complete-game shutout.

USAO 9, Graceland, Iowa 0

USAO used a six-run rally in the bottom of the fourth to blow past Graceland, Iowa, 9-0 on Sunday morning. The Drovers also scored a run in the bottom of the second and added two more in the third.

Junior Jessica Darling belted a double to center field in the second inning to score Truelove. Aguilar and Truelove each RBI singles in the third to score Askins and Bridgeforth. In the fourth inning, Foley singled to score Darling, and Askins belted a two-run triple to score Foley and Judkins.

In the next at-bat, Cotton doubled to score Askins. Senior Keeley McKinnon pinch ran for Cotton and scored on an error, while Truelove scored on a passed ball. Askins (2-for-3), Cotton (2-for-2), and Truelove (2-for-3) had multiple hits for USAO. Askins (13-4) struck out four and allowed a hit in another complete-game shutout.

USAO 8, Benedictine, Kan. 0

USAO scored seven of its eight runs in the first three innings to cruise past Benedictine, Kan., 8-0 in Saturday’s final game. The Drovers scored two runs in the bottom of the second, five runs in the third and another in the bottom of the fifth in the mercy-rule win.

After opening the bottom of the second with a walk, Aguilar scored three batters later on a passed ball. Judkins singled a batter later to score senior Alana Hare. Cotton provided the first run in the third on a double to score Foley. Truelove had a bunt single to score Askins, while Aguilar scored Bridgeforth on a groundout. Hey finished off the inning with a two-run double to score Gregory and Truelove.

The Drovers ended the game on Gregory’s double to score Aguilar. Cotton (2-for-2) was the only Drover with multiple hits in the game. Gregory (12-3) struck out nine and allowed a hit in the complete-game shutout.

USAO 12, Kansas Wesleyan 2

After scoring three runs in the top of the first, USAO scored seven in the third and two more in the fourth to blow past Kansas Wesleyan in a 12-2 mercy-rule win. Kansas Wesleyan scored two runs in the second to avoid the shutout.

In the first inning, Askins doubled to score Judkins, and Aguilar had a two-run double to score Truelove and Askins. The Drovers’ third-inning was highlighted by a two-run triple by Truelove, a two-run single by Darling, and a two-run double by Hey.

Gregory (3-for-3), Askins (2-for-3), and Aguilar (2-for-4) had multiple hits for USAO. Hey, Askins, Cotton, Aguilar, Gregory and Truelove had extra-base hits. Gregory (11-3) allowed two runs on five hits in the victory, and Askins didn’t allow a hit and struck out two in two winnings of relief.

USAO 7, Bethany, Kan. 0

USAO opened with three runs in the bottom of the first inning, and added four runs in the next three for a 7-0 win Saturday over Bethany, Kan., College. The Swedes could only manage three hits and four base runners in the game.

In the first inning, the Drovers scored on a triple by Askins, a double by Cotton, and a triple by Hey. Askins had another RBI double in the fifth, while Cotton had an RBI single for the Drovers’ two runs. Askins (2-for-3), Cotton (2-for-3), Darling (2-for-3), and Gregory (2-for-3) had multiple hits. Gregory (10-3) finished with a three-hit shutout.

USAO 8, Missouri Valley 0

USAO scored seven runs in the first three innings of an 8-0 mercy-rule win Saturday over Missouri Valley. USAO scored two runs in the bottom of the first, one in the second, three in the third and another in the fourth of the five-inning game.

Askins (3-for-3), Judkins (2-for-3), and Hare (2-for-2) had multiple hits, with Askins, Judkins and Hare with extra-base hits. Askins (12-4) recorded her second career no-hitter, and struck out eight batters against one walk.