CLERMONT, Fla. - For the first time since 2011, Central Missouri softball has a double-digit winning streak. The Jennies swept Sioux Falls 4-3, 6-1 Sunday in Clermont, Fla., improving their record to 14-5.
UCM needed some late game heroics to keep the streak alive in game one against the Cougars. After being held scorless through four innings the Jennies broke through in fifth when
Ali Jo Rogers hit her first home run of the season. The two-run blast put the Jens up 2-1 as
Makayla Schoonover came around to score.
Still ahead 2-1 in the seventh, the Jennies had the chance to put the Cougars away, but their defense let them down. The Jens committed their third error of the game and USF took advantage, plating the tying and go-ahead runs.
Down to their final at bat, Prater got the rally started with a one out single. She stole second and scored on
Lauren Mabe's double to tie the game.
Alex Leonhart, who won the game against Concordia St. Paul was summoned to pinch hit. And wouldn't you know it, she came through again, driving Mabe in with a single for her second walk-off hit of the season.
Jakki Prater started and went the distance for the Jennies. She earned her sixth win of the season allowing one earned run, three overall with seven hits and five strikeouts.
Rogers was 1-for-4 with the big hit, her first home run of the season and a game-high two RBI. Dawson, Prater and
Carlie Rose each finished with two hits apiece.
Game two was a tale of two halves. UCM got on the board first scoring two unearned runs in the opening frame on RBI singles from Mabe and
Allie Dishinger.
Sioux Falls got one of those runs back in the bottom of the first, scoring on a Jennie fielding error.
The Jens answered with a three-spot in the second, two on RBI doubles from Rogers and Prater. UCM added another run in the third when Rogers drove in Schoonover, to open the lead to 6-1.
From there it was the
Jessica Wilkes show. Outside of the first inning, she was nearly perfect retiring 18 of the final 22 batters. She went the full seven innings, allowing just the one unearned run while allowing three hits and three walks. She ups her record to 4-0.
The Jennies totaled 13 hits, their most in a game this season. Rogers led the charge going 3-for-4 and was on base four times. She again totaled a game-best two RBI and scored a run. Mabe and Schoonover both finished with two hits and a run scored. The one-through-five spots in the order all drove in a run and eight of the nine starters reached base.
UCM has two more games in Florida, a road doubleheader against No. 15 Rollins. Those games are Monday, March 16 beginning at 5 p.m. CT.
