A day after McPherson’s Lacy Weaver delivered the game-winning hit, the Friends Falcons edged past the Bulldogs 4-2 and 1-0 Sunday to capture the KCAC softball championship at the Great Bend Sports Complex.
The Falcons (30-19) will learn their opponent and site when the NAIA reveals the bracket at 4 p.m. Tuesday. The NAIA national championship opening rounds are set for May 16-18 at campus sites, with the World Series starting May 26.
Friends pitcher Isabelle Schwien blanked the Bulldogs 1-0 in the second championship showdown. She retired 16 of the final 17 Bulldogs.
"The main thing today was I had confidence in myself," said Schwien. "Today, I decided to have that swagger on the mound. I trusted them and they did a great job working behind me."
"Belle was so calm, cool and collected," said Friends softball coach Suzanne Unruh. "She came out with confidence, and got the job done. We couldn't have done it without Laila Spracklen and Belle.”
The final out recorded was one of those moments that will be remembered forever, but this one worked out in the Falcons' favor. Summer Garcia lined a ball into left field that was tailing away, but Priscilla Mora got a good jump on it and made a diving catch to likely prevent the tying run from crossing the plate.
"I read the ball pretty good, I read the sign that Hannah gave me and knew it was coming to me because I have full confidence in Belle hitting her spots so I read it off the bat and just went all out for it," said Mora.
Savannah Jackson was a force this weekend for the Falcons and came through again by singling home Low in the third inning for the only run Schwien would require for the win.
FRIENDS 4, MCPHERSON 2 (G14) — Spracklen struck out seven, walked five and gave up two runs in her six innings of work. Isabelle Schwien pitched a scoreless seventh frame to pick up her first career save and set the tone for her historic day.
Mora hit an RBI single. Spracklen singled home Mora and Meghan Low for a 3-0 lead.
After Weaver struck again with an RBI double in the bottom of the inning, Meghan Low produced a huge two-run double to push the lead to 5-1 in the fourth.
Weaver singled in another run in the bottom of the fifth, but the run support was plenty for Spracklen to finish out her 18th victory of the season.
Low, Mora and Spracklen each had two hits to anchor the Falcons' offensive attack in the win or go home opening tilt.
"The girls have gotten better each game and stronger together," said Unruh. "That's what you want, the leaders on this team are unbelievable. They were so confident"
McPherson College stayed unbeaten to advance to the KCAC Softball Championship with a 3-0 record. McPherson downed Kansas Wesleyan 8-0, regular-season champion Ottawa 5-1 and Friends 4-2 in the winner’s bracket finals. McPherson’s Lucy Weaver tripled home Brandy Trengrove and Heidi Fisher for the tying and go-ahead runs off Friends pitcher Leila Spracklen. Weaver scored on an error for McPherson’s fourth run. Weaver also drove home Fischer in the third inning.
Friends University sports information contributed to the article.
KCAC SOFTBALL
SUNDAY
G14—Friends 4, McPherson 2
G15—Friends 1, McPherson 0
SATURDAY
G9— Ottawa 4, Tabor 3
G10—Avila 3, Kansas Wesleyan 2
G11—McPherson 4, Friends 2
G12—Ottawa 7, Avila 4
G13—Friends 3, Ottawa 1
FRIDAY
G1—Ottawa 4, St. Mary 1
G2—McPherson 8, Kansas Wesleyan 0
G3—Friends 9, Tabor 1
G4—Avila 4, Oklahoma Wesleyan 1
G5—McPherson 5, Ottawa 1
G6—Friends 4, Avila 3
G7—Kansas Wesleyan 2, St. Marys 0
G8— Tabor 9, Oklahoma Wesleyan 1
