Koenig Strikes Out 15 Against Maranatha Baptist in Perfect Game

CARLINVILLE, IL -- Senior Shelby Koenig struck out all 15 batters she faced in the first game of Friday's softball doubleheader against nonconferece foe Maranatha Baptist University. Blackburn College won the first game 8-0 and followed it with 13-0 win in the nightcap. 

Junior Breana Allen got things started by getting hit by a pitch then stole second. Sophomore Kenadee Frey and junior Zoe Mitchell both got on due to MBU errors before Caroline Gibson hit a ball that resulted in another Sabrecat error which scored Allen and Frey to put the Beavers up 2-0. 

In the third inning, junior Brianna Melchor singled and scored off a double by sophomore Sierra Hiser. The them then added four more in the fourth. Sophomore Kailynn Kruep singled and stole second before scoring off an Allen double. Allen scored when Frey hit a single, then Frey scored on Mitchell's single. Mitchell found her way to third and made it 7-0 when she scored on a wild pitch. 

The Beavers clinched the win in the fifth inning when Hiser scored on senior Julianna Tabian's single. 

Hiser opened the second game with a run in the first inning. In the second inning, Koenig doubled then senior Jesse Cirricione walked. Freshman Emma Steibel singled to score Koenig. After an out, Cirrincione scored on Hiser's single. After Frey was hit by a pitch, Mitchell followed with another single which scored Hiser and Steibel. Frey and Mitchell then scored when freshman Mailee Schoen doubled, putting Blackburn ahead 7-0 after the second inning. 

Koenig opened the third inning with a single then stole second and third and scored due to an error by the MBU catcher. Steibel and Kruep both got on and scored off a ball to the outfield hit by Hiser. Mitchell followed with a ball to the outfield that Hiser scored on, and Mitchell scored on a Schoen single. During the next at bat, senior Mckenzie Smith doubled to score Schoen and put Blackburn ahead 13-0 for the win. 

BC returns to action Saturday for another doubleheader with Maranatha Baptist.