Team Effort Helps Softball Defeat Knox in Doubleheader

GALESBURG, IL – Blackburn College Softball collected their fifth sweep of the season as they defeated Knox College 7-2 and 8-5 in nonconference play. 

Blackburn got out to an early lead with two runs in the first inning. Freshman Kailynn Kruep walked to get on base, then stole second. After an out, freshman Kenadee Frey knocked her second home run of the season to put the Beavers ahead 2-0. 

The Prairie Fire answered in their second inning but Blackburn responded in their fourth inning. Senior Holly Heuerman started the inning by getting hit by a pitch. She then stole second and got to third due to a passed ball. Junior Julianna Tabian followed with a walk. A flyout brought junior Shelby Koeing who's ground out allowed Heuerman to score and moved Tabian to third. Sophomore Brianna Melchor followed with a single to score Tabian which put Blackburn ahead 4-2. 

In the top of the seventh, Kruep and Frey singled and then reached third and second from a passed ball. Sophomore Zoe Mitchell then scored Kruep with a double. Heuerman grounded out but the batted ball allowed Frey to score and Mitchell moved to second before scoring on a wild pitch. The Beavers forced Knox into three straight ground outs to get the 7-2 win. 

To start the nightcap, the teams traded runs. In the first, a Heuerman double scored senior Lexi Shaw who had singled. Knox tied the game in the bottom of the second. 

Shaw reached on in error in the third inning then reached third off a Frey double. Mitchell followed with a ball that resulted in another Knox error which also scored Shaw. After third error loaded the bases, Tabian singled which scored Frey to put BC ahead 3-1. 

Knox responded with two runs of their own which tied the game again at 3-3. The fourth inning saw sophomore Michelle Hollon get on through an error then reach third on a single from Shaw. Frey came up and forced the Prairie Fire into another error which loaded the bases. Mitchell hit a single to score Hollon which Heuerman followed with a double to score Shaw and Frey. Tabian had a sacrifice fly to score Mitchell but Heuerman was thrown out after the score to end the inning with Blackburn leading 7-3. 

Blackburn added another run in the sixth when Frey doubled then scored on a Heuerman single. 

Heuerman ended the day with a team best five hits along with two doubles. Frey finished with five runs, four hits, two doubles and two runs batted in. Shaw and senior Mckenzie Smith added two hits while Kruep tallied two runs. Mitchell posted two hits and two runs. Tabian picked up a win in the opener while Hollon threw six strikeouts to win the nightcap

With the wins, Blackburn improves to 12-12 on the season and returns to action Thursday to host Rose Hulman Institute of Technology in another nonconference matchup.