Softball Pushes Winning Streak to Nine-Straight with Sweep of Panthers

ELSAH, IL -- Blackburn College Softball pushed their winnning streak to nine straight wins after sweeping Principia College in St. Louis Intercollegiate Athletic Conference action. The Beavers captured the first game 9-1 and followed it with a 20-2 victory in game two. 

Sophomore Kailynn Kruep and freshman Mailee Schoen led the team with five hits each. Schoen also smashed two home runs and added eight runs batted in througout the two games. Kruep and sophomore Kenadee Frey both scored four runs. 

Senior Shelby Koenig threw five innings and notched 12 strikeouts while Michelle Hollon also threw five innings nand tallied five strikeouts. 

Kruep got the first game started with a single and scored on on a ball hit by junior Breana Allen. She also scored the first run of the fourth inning to start a seven-run rally. Kruep got on with a triple then scored due to an error by the principia outfield. Allen, Frey and junior Zoe Mitchell all singled to load the bases before Schoen smashed her first career grand slam and make it 6-0. 

Junior Caroline Gibson got on from an error and junior Brianna Melchor singled, and senior Sierra Hiser hit both in after her ball hit to the outfield was misplayed and put the Beavers ahead 8-0. Mitchell helped seal the victory with a sacrifice fly in the fifth inning which scored Allen and gave the game the final 9-0 score. 

The bats stayed hot to start the second game as Blackburn put 12 runs on the board to open the nightcap. Schoen highlighted the inning with her second home run of the day. Senior Grace Mackey and Frey also doubled in the inning. 

After the hosts scored in the bottom of the first, BC answered in the third. Frey got on with a single and after stealing second, Mitchell knocked her in with a single. The Beavers added five more runs in the fifth. Freshman Jessi Wright tripled to highlight the inning while Schoen also hit a double. Principia scored one run in the bottom of the inning but it wouldn't be enough as Blackburn captured the 20-2 victory. 

With the win, the Beavers improve to 12-9 on the year and open SLIAC play 4-0. The team returns to action Saturday to host Spalding University for the SLIAC opener.