The Tabor College softball team enjoyed a 5-1 outing last week, improving to 9-5 in KCAC play, 24-15 overall.
Friends—Tabor split with the Falcons, who are receiving votes, Saturday.
The Bluejays won Game 1, 3-2, plating run support in the opening inning when Kaylie Felix hit a two-run home run.
Friends scratched across a run in the bottom of the fourth inning, then each team scored one run in the sixth inning. For Tabor, Felix hit a leadoff double, advanced to third on an error and scored on Araselly Vargas’ sacrifice fly.
Friends left two on base in the final half-inning.
Vargas was 2-for-2 at-bat and had one RBI. Felix was 2-for-3 and had two RBIs. Brianna Quiroz was 2-for-4.
Madison Byrd (17-6) was the winning pitcher. In seven innings, she gave up six hits and two earned runs. She walked four batters and struck out 11.
Tabor lost Game 2, 10-2, in six innings.
Brianna Quiroz accounted for all of Tabor’s scoring, hitting solo home runs to lead off both the third and fifth innings.
Friends scored four runs in the third inning, five runs in the fifth and one in the sixth to put the mercy rule in effect.
Quiroz was 3-for-3 at-bat and had two RBIs.
Hannah Jones (1-1) sustained the pitching loss. In 22⁄3 innings, she gave up six hits and four runs (all earned). She walked two batters and struck out two.
“That’s really big if you can get a split at their place,” coach Suzanne Unruh said. “They’re receiving votes, so that was a big win. Really wish we could’ve got the sweep. There were chances there early and opportunities where it could’ve gone our way, and then just, in my opinion, some defensive flaws that changed an outcome of an inning.
“Our hitters were hitting, but we hit it right at them.”
Central Christian—Tabor swept the Tigers Thursday.
The Bluejays won Game 1, 4-2, enjoying a two-hit, two-run top of the first inning. After Brianna Quiroz led off with a single, Stephanie Vejar hit a two-run home run to key the inning.
The Tigers scored one run in the second inning, then Tabor added to its lead in the top of the fourth inning. Ariana Landeros hit an RBI single in the frame, and Tabor benefitted from two Tiger errors.
That was enough offense, as the Tigers managed to scratch just one more run across off a fifth-inning single.
Kelsey Jones was 2-for-3 at-bat. Vejar was 2-for-4 and had two RBIs.
Vejar (4-6) was the winning pitcher. In seven innings, she gave up nine hits and two runs (one earned). She walked two batters and struck out one.
Tabor won Game 2, 1-0.
The Bluejays scored the game’s only run in the top of the fourth inning when Stephanie Vejar worked a leadoff walk, then Kaylie Felix hit a sacrifice bunt. Vejar scored on a wild throw.
Arizona Schraeder was 2-for-3 at-bat.
Emily Ingalls (1-0) earned the pitching win. She threw six shutout innings, giving up five hits, walking one batter and striking out one. Hannah Jones was credited with the save.
Southwestern—Tabor swept the Moundbuilders Tuesday.
The Bluejays won Game 1, 2-1.
Southwestern broke a scoreless tie by scoring one run in the fourth inning. The home team maintained a 1-0 lead until the final inning.
Down to their final three outs, the Bluejays scored two runs off one hit and two errors in the top of the seventh inning. Araselly Vargas led off with a single, then Dani Calder hit a sacrifice bunt. Sierra Becerra reached base via error, then, with two outs, Arizona Schraeder reached base via another error, allowing both runs to score.
Madison Byrd (16-6) earned the pitching win. Over seven innings, she gave up five hits and one earned run. She walked one batter and struck out four.
Tabor won Game 2, 6-3. The Bluejays got on the board first with two runs off two hits and an error in the first inning. Hannah Jones hit an RBI single in the frame, and Araselly Vargas, a sacrifice fly.
The Moundbuilders, however, took a 3-2 lead in the second inning.
Tabor tied the game in the fifth when Vargas hit an RBI single, and the Bluejays broke the tie in the top of the seventh inning, scoring three runs off four hits. Sierra Becerra keyed the frame with a two-run triple.
Vargas was 3-for-3 at-bat and had two RBIs.
Stephanie Vejar (3-6-1) earned the pitching win with 22⁄3 scoreless innings of relief.
“(We) had to adjust to some pitching there, kind of took us awhile,” coach Suzanne Unruh said. “(We) came up late, actually using some pinch hitters that really came in in key situations.”
Coming—Tabor will host Bethany (6-8, 18-23) today at 5 p.m. and will travel to Saint Mary (6-5, 13-22) Saturday for a doubleheader beginning at 1 p.m.
