Game 1: Evangel 5, Graceland 0 | Box Score
Game 2: Graceland 6, Evangel 5 | Box Score
Records: Evangel (20-8, 9-7); Graceland (12-19, 4-12)
Location: North Park

LAMONI, Iowa – The Evangel softball team used a four-hit, combined shutout from Josie Allcock and Abby Jo Emmitt to claim a 5-0 win over Graceland in a Heart of America Athletic Conference split with the Yellowjackets Saturday afternoon at North Park.

Marissa Lokey went a combined 3-for-5 to lead Evangel at the plate, while Ali Raley finished the day 4-for-7 with a home run and Mariah Hanner drove in four runs in the twin bill.

Game 1 – Evangel 5, Graceland 0
Evangel scored in four different innings, while the duo of Allcock and Emmitt held the Yellowjackets to four singles.

Allcock and Emmitt combined forces to strike out 10 GU batters, while Lokey went 2-for-4 with the go-ahead RBI-single in the first inning.

EU added another run in the fourth on Hanner's two-out double, then plated two more in the fifth to double its advantage. Raley homered to start the rally, before Kristyn Stocks doubled, stole third and came around on an errant throw.

EU pushed another run across the plate in the seventh, but Emmitt wouldn't need it, finishing off the victory with another scoreless inning. She struck out seven and allowed just two hits in her 4 2/3 innings to notch her ninth win of the season.

Game 2 – Graceland 6, Evangel 5
Evangel jumped out to an early lead once again in the second game, getting another Lokey RBI single to establish a 1-0 advantage in the first inning.

But the Yellowjackets would respond with six unanswered runs over a four-inning stretch to seize command for good. Ries Wilson drove in the first three GU runs of the game, giving her club a 2-1 lead with a two-run single in the third, before doubling home another run in the fifth.

The Yellowjackets put the game on ice in the sixth, loading the bases against Emmitt before Daryn Nowlin's double to left cleared the bags and extended the GU lead to 6-1.

EU fought back with four runs in the seventh, closing the gap to one run on Hanner's two-out, three-run homer, then putting the potential tying run aboard on a Yellowjacket error. But GU's Bre Small closed out the win by retiring Megan Stone on a grounder to third to strand the EU baserunner.

Wilson led the Yellowjackets with three RBIs on a 2-for-3 effort, while Corry Pickering added three hits and scored three runs for GU.

Raley paced EU's offense with a 3-for-4 effort, and Hanner went 2-for-3 with three RBIs.

Up Next
Evangel will host Park in another Heart Conference doubleheader on Monday (April 5) at Crusader Field. First pitch is slated for 2 p.m.

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—