Beavers Secures Postseason Appearance with Sweep

CARLINVILLE, IL -- The Blackburn College Softball team secured a return to the St. Louis Intercollegiate Athletic Conference Tournament by sweeping Eureka College 13-1 and 11-2 in a conference doubleheader. 

Leading the Beavers was sophomore Kenadee Frey as she hit two home runs to give her 10 on the season. She finished the day with a total of four hits, including a triple, nine runs batted in and three runs scored. 

Senior Julianna Tabian added four hits, four RBI's and scored four runs. She also hit a triple. Sophomore Sierra Hiser also had four hits with three runs scored. Senior Grace Mackey scored four runs off two hits. Junior Zoe Mitchell added three RBI's with two hits. 

Senior Shelby Koenig tallied seven strikeouts to get her 11th win this year. Tabian picked up the complete game win for her first this season. 

Blackburn took an early lead when Frey homered in the first inning which also scored Tabian. An error allowed Mackey to score in the second inning to put BC ahead 3-0. 

After Eureka scored in the top of the third, the Beavers responded with five runs in the third and fourth inning. The third inning saw freshman Mailee Schoen and Hiser walk and Mackey single to load the bases. Tabian was up next and singled off a bunt to score Schoen and a walk from junior Breana Allen and Frey allowed Mackey and Hiser to score. Mitchell was up next and singled to right field which scored both Allen and Tabian to make it 8-1. 

The fourth inning featured Tabian hitting a triple which scored senior Miley Kwiatkowski and Hiser before Allen walked. Frey was up next and belted her tenth home run of the season to score both Tabian and Allen and put the team up 13-1 for the win. 

In the nightcap, Eureka scored first but BC answered with three in the first. Tabian got on from an error and Allen walked. Frey was up next and knocked in Tabian and moved Allen to third. A passed ball allowed Allen to score and Mitchell knocked in Frey to make it 3-1. 

Blackburn added five runs in the third, starting with a solo home run from Schoen. Mackey doubled and scored off Hiser's double. Kwiatkowski followed and knocked in Hiser. After Allen walked again, Frey tripled to left field which scored Allen and Kwiatkowski both scored which give BC an 8-1 lead. 

The Beavers added more runs in the fourth as junior Caroline Gibson and Kwiatkowski scoring of two different wild pitches and Mackey scoring on a Tabian single. The Red Devils scored a run in their fifth but Blackburn stopped the EC offense to win game two 11-2.

With the sweep, the Beavers are now 17-18 on the season and 9-7 in the conference. The team will conclude their regular season and honor the seniors Saturday as they host Greenville College. The team then appear in the SLIAC Quarterfinals on May 6, with seeding still to be determined.