York, Neb.- The University of Saint Mary Softball team traveled to play the York Panthers in a weekend doubleheader on Saturday, resulting in two wins. The Spires are now 28-18 overall and 17-7 in conference play. 

Game One

Saint Mary got off to a slow start, falling behind in the game's early goings. However, the USM bats ignited with a burst of action. In the top of the third, the Spires answered with three runs. A triple from Alexis McDaniel allowed Allyson Dias and Gianna Paape to score and was followed up by an RBI single from Grace Rose, making it a 3-1 ballgame. York failed to respond, and Saint Mary continued to add pressure over the next three innings. In the top of the fourth inning, the Spires added another five runs, capitalizing on timely hits and aggressive baserunning to build a commanding lead. Saint Mary continued to shine offensively with critical RBIs from Megan Brinkman and Alexis Hughes in the sixth inning. Despite a late surge from the Panthers, the USM defense remained resilient, securing the 12-3 victory.

Game Two

The final game of the day was not as high-scoring as game one, but it still had its moments of excitement. The first two innings saw both teams struggling to get on the scoreboard due to solid defensive plays keeping the run collum empty. In the top of the third, Audrey Spellman grounded out for an RBI, scoring Paape and putting the Spires up 1-0. Starter Allie Cox was crucial in holding the Panthers scoreless for over six innings. It wasn't until the top of the seventh inning that the tide turned decisively. Sadie McWilliams delivered a clutch double, driving in pinch runner Ava Vander Weit for the first run of the inning. Singles by Abigail Kudym and Spellman added two more runs, giving the Spires a 4-0 lead. Then, with aggressive baserunning, both Kudym and Spellman executed a double steal, with Kudym being called safe at home, making it a 5-0 ball game. Jessica Strandlund kept the momentum going with another RBI single that drove in Spellman for the fifth run of the inning and seized control of the game. Though the Panthers were able to score, Cox and the Spires' defense held to complete the sweep of York with a final result of 6-1.

Up Next

Saint Mary will travel to face off against the conference's top-ranked team, the Evangel Valor, in their regular-season finale at 2 p.m. on Tuesday in Springfield, Missouri.