The Tabor College softball team played five games in four days and went 3-2 to move to 6-4 in KCAC play, 19-14 overall.
Kansas Wesleyan—Having suffered a 1-0 loss to the conference-leading Coyotes in Game 1 March 28, Tabor played Game 2 of its doubleheader Sunday in a game that had been postponed because of rain.
The Bluejays lost, 3-1.
“I give (Jordyn Parsons) a lot of credit,” coach Suzanne Unruh said. “She’s a really good pitcher. Of course, they had some good hitters. They’ve always had power hitters, and they did have timely hits. Not our best day, but they’re good.”
Kansas Wesleyan built a 2-1 lead before each team scored one run in the sixth inning.
The Coyotes outhit Tabor, 8-5. The Bluejays committed two errors.
Five Bluejays recorded a hit: Madison Byrd, Kaylie Felix, Sierra Becerra, Raegan Ternes and Arizona Schraeder. Felix had one RBI.
Byrd (15-6) absorbed the pitching loss. In six innings, she gave up eight hits and three runs (two earned). She walked four batters and struck out four.
York—Tabor swept a two-game series Saturday.
“It was nice to see them bounce back after that (Bethel loss) and go take a sweep from York,” coach Suzanne Unruh said. “I thought York was pretty similar in game-style as Bethel, with their pitching and things like that.”
Tabor won Game 1, 6-2.
The Bluejays scored four runs before York got on the board, scratching across their first run in the bottom of the first inning when Kerrigan Travens hit an RBI double.
Tabor used one hit and an error to score one run in the fourth inning, then plated two runs off four hits in the fifth. Araselly Vargas and Dani Calder hit RBI singles in the frame.
Each team scored two runs in the sixth inning. Tabor used two hits and two errors in the bottom half of the inning, including an RBI double by Arizona Schraeder.
Tabor outhit York, 13-3. The Panthers committed three errors.
Travens was 3-for-4 at-bat and had one RBI. Also with one RBI were: Brianna Quiroz, Vargas, Calder and Schraeder.
Madison Byrd (15-5) earned the pitching win. In seven innings, she scattered three hits and two earned runs. She walked two batters and struck out seven.
Tabor won Game 2, 3-2.
The Bluejays scored two runs off two hits and an error in the third inning. Stephanie Vejar hit an RBI double in the frame. Tabor scored its third run in the fourth inning when Dani Calder drove in a run with an RBI double.
York plated two runs off three hits and an error in the top of the seventh, but stranded the tying run.
Hannah Jones (1-0) earned the pitching win. In four innings, she gave up five hits and no earned runs. She walked one batter and struck out one. Stephanie Vejar was credited with the save.
Bethel—Tabor split a doubleheader Thursday in two games postponed from Wednesday because of rain.
The Bluejays won Game 1, 5-3. After scoring one run in the opening inning off Araselly Vargas’ RBI single, Tabor scored its final four runs off five hits in the top of the third inning. Vargas keyed the frame with a two-run double. Kelsey Jones hit an RBI double in the frame, and Sierra Becerra, an RBI single.
Bethel rallied late in the game, scoring two runs in the sixth inning and one in the seventh.
earned the pitching win. She scattered three hits and three unearned runs over seven innings of work while walking two batters and striking out seven.
Tabor lost Game 2, 8-7.
The Bluejays took an early lead, plating three runs off four hits and an error in the top of the first inning. Brianna Quiroz and Stephanie Vejar hit back-to-back doubles to start the game. Vejar’s hit drove in the first run. Kerrigan Travens and Dani Calder also hit RBI singles in the frame.
Bethel took the lead by scoring two runs in the third inning and four in the fourth, but Tabor battled back, scoring two runs in the fifth inning to close the gap to 6-5, then scoring two more in the sixth inning to jump in front, 7-6. Araselly Vargas hit an RBI double in the fifth inning and Tabor benefitted from two errors in that frame, and another error in the top of the sixth.
Bethel tied the game in the bottom of the inning and won in walk-off fashion in the bottom of the seventh.
Travens was 3-for-4 at-bat and had one RBI. Calder had two RBIs.
“We just did not have our defensive ‘A’ game going that day,” coach Suzanne Unruh said. “(We) squeezed out a win in the first one, with the help of some errors on their end.”
Madison Byrd (14-5) sustained the pitching loss. In 22⁄3 innings of relief, she gave up three hits and two runs (one earned). She walked two and struck out two.
Coming—Tabor was scheduled to play at Southwestern Tuesday and will travel to Central Christian Thursday for a 1 p.m. doubleheader. The Bluejays will return to KCAC play Saturday at Friends. Game 1 is set to begin at 1 p.m.
