The Basics

Game 1: Evangel 3, Missouri Valley 2 | Box Score

Game 2 (11 inn.): Evangel 9, Missouri Valley 8 | Box Score

Record: Evangel (17-11-1, 12-6), Missouri Valley (23-17, 10-16)

Location: Marshall, Mo. (Lyon Bowl)

MARSHALL, Mo. – After a week with no Evangel Softball games due to inclement weather, the Valor traveled to Missouri Valley looking to take two against the Vikings, who last week had set the Heart Conference record for most innings pitched without allowing a run. In game one, Evangel recorded offense at crucial moments in the game, giving the Valor a 3-2 win over the Vikings. In the second game of the afternoon, both teams fought hard, battling back and forth throughout the afternoon. Ultimately, Evangel pushed across the winning run in the 11th inning, 9-8.

HIGHLIGHTS

• Evangel scored only three runs in game one, but were able to use solid pitching and defense to claim the victory, 3-2.

• Samantha Romano (7-3) had a great outing in the circle in game one, striking out 8 batters and giving up just two earned runs. Abby Jo Emmitt pitched in relief and slammed the door on any Viking comeback in the seventh, recording her first save of the season.

• Game two consisted of back and forth play with the Valor ultimately pulling out the win, 9-8, in 11 innings.

• Romano claimed the victory in game two after pitching two innings in relief, allowing just one hit.

HOW IT HAPPENED

• Throughout game one, Missouri Valley found the majority of their offense from their 1 through 4 hole hitters, who combined 7-14 while the rest of their team was just 2-15.

• The Valor grabbed an early lead in the first inning when Karlie Romines doubled to right field and scored on an Ali Raley single to right field.

• The Vikings overcame Evangel's early lead in the third inning by scoring two runs on three base hits.

• Evangel kicked off the top of the fifth with a Morgan Shockley double and Annslee Leeviraphan walked and stole second. With runners on second and third, Kaydran Russell advanced them both on a sacrifice fly, tying the game up at two runs apiece. Cayleigh Berry entered the ball game to pinch hit and singled home the go-ahead run for Evangel, giving the Valor a 3-2 lead.

• Two Evangel errors in the bottom of the seventh kept the game interesting, but the Valor were able to push through the mistakes, when Emmitt shut the door on the Vikings, preserving the 3-2 Valor victory.

• Both teams struggled to push runs across at the beginning of game two, but by the third inning, Evangel took a 2-0 lead. In the third inning, Shockley walked and scored on a passed ball. Romines took advantage of two Viking errors and got on base, eventually scoring on an error.

• Missouri Valley scored in the fourth inning and then took a 3-2 lead in the fifth inning when they scored two runs.

• Raley quickly evened the score in the top of the sixth when she hit a home run for Evangel. Mariah Hanner doubled and scored on a Abigail Posten single. Leeviraphan singled, scoring Posten and giving the Valor a 5-3 lead.

• Evangel threatened to break the game open by loading the bases with just one out in the seventh inning, but ultimately the Vikings escaped the inning unscathed, forcing a groundout and fly out.

• Missouri Valley tied the game up in their final half inning of regulation and had a runner in scoring position with just one out, but the Valor defense forced a Viking double play to extend the game into extras, 5-5.

• Stone doubled and Leeviraphan singled to kick off the top of the eighth inning, but two outs put the Valor's scoring opportunity in jeopardy. With a 2-2 count, Romines put the ball in play and singled, clearing the bases and giving Evangel a 7-5 lead.

• The Vikings continued to put up a fight against Evangel, scoring two runs to tie up the game at seven runs apiece to extend the game.

• With the international tiebreaker in play, Evangel scored the go-ahead run in the 10th inning when Shockley used a sacrifice hit to score Leeviraphan.

• Again, the Vikings evened the score in the tenth, forcing the game to go to the eleventh inning.

• Posten hit a sacrifice fly to right field, scoring Brooke Arnold who had been placed on second to start the 11th inning, giving Evangel a 9-8 lead.

• Romano shut down the Vikings offense, pitching two innings in relief and secured the victory for Evangel, claiming her seventh win of the season after picking up her sixth just one game earlier.

NOTABLE

• Berry provided a spark off the bench, scoring Evangel's go-ahead run in the fifth in game one, her seventh RBI of the season.

• Emmitt recorded her sixth career save in game one, striking out the two batters she faced with two runners on.

• Raley hit her 12th career home run in game two.

• Romano brought home two victories on the mound for Evangel on Monday, moving her record to 7-3.

UP NEXT

Evangel will begin a eight game homestand on Tuesday against MidAmerica Nazarene, beginning at 2:00 p.m. tomorrow afternoon.

For the latest information on Evangel Athletics, visit Facebook at Facebook.com/EvangelValor, Twitter (@EvangelValor), or EvangelAthletics.com. Fans can also receive updates on their favorite EU teams by downloading the Evangel Athletics Gameday App through the App Store or Google Play.  

—#OneValor—