WINFIELD, Kan. – Back amongst the friendly confines of Broadway Sports Complex, the Southwestern College softball team was in search of their first Kansas Collegiate Athletic Conference (KCAC) victory of the 2023 season. The squad battled the Bethany College Swedes, who sported an undefeated conference record, at 4-0; coming into the first tilt of the afternoon. In the first battle of the day, there was not much evidence of a difference in talent between the two sides, as a low-scoring 3-1 bout went the way of the Swedes. However, game two was another story, as Bethany pulled away for a 16-4 victory over the Moundbuilders in five innings.

Keeping Bethany off the scoreboard in a critical bases-loaded situation in the top of the first helped SC gain a bit of traction in the opening game. Though the Swedes did score first, their tally did not come until the top of the second on a sacrifice fly to center field. The Moundbuilders then trailed 1-0 until the bottom of the fourth inning.

In that fourth frame, Southwestern's Rayven Favors began the inning with a triple into the gap in right-center field to lead off the stanza. After recording one out, Bethany surrendered a run to SC on an RBI groundout by Hannah Hlavenka, which tied the score at 1-1.

Quickly, the Swedes would respond, as a single run on an RBI base hit up the middle in the top of the fifth erased Southwestern's progress in the fourth.

Bethany would add on with an insurance tally in the top of the sixth, as they nabbed their second sac fly of the tilt. That unselfish at-bat made it a 3-1 lead, which felt enormous with the difficulty that the Builders were having with the Swedes' starting pitcher. That is where the score would remain after seven full frames, as the Moundbuilders competed nicely, but could not get over the hump against a squad that remained undefeated in the conference slate.

Things were markedly different in game two of the day, as Bethany took advantage of a bases-loaded opportunity with two outs in the latter battle on Wednesday. A single plated two runs, and a subsequent error on the throw back into the infield allowed the third runner to score, making it 3-0 Bethany after the top of the first.

The Swedes would then add on a five spot in the top of the second, as a two-run double, a two-run homerun and a RBI single made it 8-0 for Bethany entering the bottom of the inning.

Not much was going right for Southwestern's offense after the leadoff hitter in each of the first two stanzas. Leadoff hits in the first and second were stranded by the next three hitters in each frame.

After tossing up a zero in the top of the third, SC finally got onto the scoreboard with a sacrifice fly to center field by Hlavenka, scoring Isabel Lytle in the process. Unfortunately, no sustained rally was in the offing for the Builders.

Immediately, that one run was taken back by Bethany on a solo homer to lead off the fourth inning. Then, a three-run double, an RBI single and a run-scoring double made it a 14-1 game with on two more opportunities for the Builders to get back within eight runs of the Swedes. Southwestern did score twice in the bottom of the fourth, on a run-scoring groundout by pinch-hitter Nina Celestino, as well as an RBI single by Gina Hernandez into left-center field. Those tallied made the score 14-3 entering the fifth.

Bethany grabbed their final two runs of the game in the top of the frame, netting an RBI single through the left side, as well as an RBI fielder's choice. Hlavenka added to her nice run-producing day by lacing a single into right-center field, making the final score 16-4 after five innings.

Southwestern's offense split 15 hits between the two games almost evenly, as they notched seven in game one, including two from Favors, two from Loren Wright, two from Alexus Johnson and one from Taylor Mesna. The second tilt boasted eight Builder hits, with Lytle going 3-for-3 in the game with two runs scored. Al. Johnson also had two hits again and went 4-for-6 over the course of the two battles. Hlavenka, Mesna and Hernandez each had a single hit in game two, as Hlavenka drove in three runs on the day.

Al. Johnson's strong effort in the circle in game one should not go unnoticed, as she hurled a complete game and allowed just three runs against a high-powered Bethany lineup. She had a pair of strikeouts in the performance. The trio of Jordan Gates (2.1 IP), Ryleigh Branstetter (1.1 IP) and Raleigh Kramer (1.1 IP) found it increasingly difficult to tame the bats of the Swedes, as they combined to allow 15 hits and 16 runs. Each of the three pitchers had one strikeout in the game.

Though the Builders (1-16, 0-4 KCAC) were unable to nab a triumph in the KCAC on Wednesday, they will continue to look for opportunities to get into the win column, as they set their sights on Saturday, March 25 in Hillsboro, Kan. The Moundbuilders will face off with the Tabor College Bluejays, beginning at 1 p.m. Game two will follow the conclusion of the first bout.

--buildersports.com--