Game 1: Benedictine 6, Evangel 1 | Box Score
Game 2: Benedictine 3, Evangel 1 | Box Score
Records: Evangel (11-3, 0-2); Benedictine (12-6, 2-2)
Location: Ravens Field

ATCHISON, Kan. – Evangel saw its nine-game win streak come to an end Tuesday afternoon, as Benedictine limited the Crusaders to two total runs in a Heart of America Athletic Conference doubleheader sweep at Ravens Field.

Alex Gilham limited EU to a single run on six hits over 6.0 innings in a 6-1 BC win in game one, before Abby Pressgrove duplicated that effort, scattering four Crusaders hits over her six frames in a game-two,  3-1 victory.

Megan Stone led the Crusaders with three hits in her seven at-bats on the day, while Abby Jo Emmitt fanned 10 Ravens in a complete-game effort in the circle in game two.

Game 1 – Benedictine 6, Evangel 1
Benedictine used a three-run second inning to take control of the opener, before the duo of Gilham and Alicia Armijo took care of the rest with their shutdown pitching efforts.

Madison Zaccardo, who finished the game 2-for-4 with two runs scored and an RBI, sparked the Ravens' third-inning rally with a base hit, before Natalie Sheffield's run-scoring fielder's choice brought in the first BC tally of the game. Halley Rindom stretched the home club's lead to 3-0 with her two-run single to left-center.

Evangel answered with its lone run of the contest in the top of the third when Stone hammered a 3-2 pitch from Gilham over the left-field fence to cut the Crusaders' deficit to two runs.

The Ravens got the run back on Kylie Hays' infield single, after Pressgrove singled and stole second base to start the inning. BC tacked on two more runs in the fifth on a Zaccardo RBI double and Pressgrove's bunt single.

Gilham worked around a Kami Holt leadoff single, as well as a BC defensive miscue, to keep EU off the board in the fourth. The senior right-hander retired the final six EU hitters she faced in succession before yielding to Armijo, who worked around a hit batsman to lock up the victory.

Both Stone and Ali Raley led EU with two-hit performances in the loss.

Game 2 – Benedictine 3, Evangel 1
Benedictine overcame a 1-0 Evangel lead, scoring three times in its final two turns at-bat to wrap up the sweep. Pressgrove and Gilham teamed up to keep the EU bats in check for a second-straight game, striking out five and allowing just one run on four hits.

Pressgrove fanned four Crusaders and permitted just a Josie Allcock RBI single in the fourth in her six innings, before Gilham earned the save with a scoreless seventh.

After the Crusaders plated the game's first tally courtesy of another Stone single and Allcock's two-out hit down the right-field line, the Ravens struck back to level the score with some two-out magic of their own. Megan Medhus' double to deep right chased home Kassidy James from second after an Ivy Brewer single started the threat.

BC took control in the sixth with another two-out rally that was sparked by Pressgrove's double down the left-field line. Sheffield followed with a two-run single to center off Emmitt, who allowed just three runs on five total BC hits in 6.0 innings.

Medhus was the lone player to log a two-hit game, going 2-for-2 with two steals and an RBI, while Sheffield finished 1-for-3 with the game's key hit.

Up Next
Evangel returns to Springfield for a pair of 1 p.m., Heart Conference doubleheaders this weekend, taking on Park Friday (March 19), before meeting Central Methodist Saturday (March 20) at Crusader Field.

For the latest information on Evangel Athletics, follow the Crusaders on Facebook at Facebook.com/EUAthletics, Twitter (@EUAthletics), or visit EvangelAthletics.com. Fans can also receive updates on the team by downloading the new Evangel Crusaders GamedayApp through Google Play. 

—EvangelAthletics.com—