Overland Park, Kan. – Evangel's season came to an end Friday night as they went four games deep in the Heart of America conference tournament before regular season champion Central Methodist eliminated the Crusaders 15-8. Earlier in the day, Evangel lost in a winners' bracket game to Grand View 9-1 in five innings and survived their first elimination game with a 3-1, 9-inning win over Culver-Stockton.
Evangel lost the winners' bracket semifinal game against Grand View (41-9) 9-1 in in 5 innings. The Vikings took advantage of five Evangel errors resulting in five unearned runs. Crusaders SS Brittany Arnold went 2 for 2 and scored Evangel's only run. Grand View scored three runs in the second and third innings and put the game away with three more runs in the fifth.
The Crusaders stayed alive in the tournament with a 3-1 win in 9 innings over Culver-Stockton (32-17) in an elimination game. Kyra Parker (16-5) pitched all 9 innings allowing 5 hits and 1 run with 4 walks and 5 strikeouts. The Wildcats had the winning run at third base with one out in the eighth but Parker got out of the jam getting a pop-up and a strikeout.
With two out in the ninth, Evangel took the lead as Kasie Zukow scored on an errant from right field. Kiara Carrier's double drove in another run giving Evangel a two run cushion. Parker then closed out the game retiring Culver-Stockton in order.
Zuckow and Caitlin Buckalew both had three hits in the game for Evangel.
Evangel's season ended in their third game of the day with a 15-8 loss to top seeded and 21st ranked Central Methodist (40-15). The Crusaders jumped out to a 4-0 lead in the first innings and chased starting pitcher Haley Kinnison after only one-third of an inning. The Eagles responded with a run in the second inning and took a 5-4 lead with a four-run third inning that was capped by a three-RBI double by Alyssa Lilly.
The Crusaders kept themselves in the game scoring two runs in the fifth and two more in the sixth inning but Central Methodist's offense kept rolling scoring 15 runs on 16 hits while taking advantage of nine walks issued by Evangel pitching and four Crusaders' errors.
Evangel 2B Megan Washam went 3 for 3 at the plate with two RBI's while Buckalew went 2 for 4 with two runs, an RBI and a double.
The Crusaders ended the season with a 31-16 record.
