Leavenworth, Kan.—

Game One:

The York University Panthers walked off with a 5-4 extra inning win over USM this afternoon in York, Neb., spoiling a late go-ahead rally by the Spires after Kylie Vandervoort's RBI single in the top of the eighth briefly put Saint Mary in front.

Tied 3-3 after seven innings, Saint Mary manufactured what looked like the winning run in the top of the eighth. Audrey Spellman reached and came around to score when Vandervoort pushed a bunt toward the circle and beat it out for an infield single, giving the Spires their first lead of the day at 4-3. York answered in the bottom half, loading up for Taylor Jones, who delivered the final blow with a double down the right-field line to drive in two and end the game.

The extra-inning finish capped a back-and-forth contest that saw the Spires claw back from multiple deficits. York struck first with a two-run first inning, using back-to-back doubles from Larson and pitcher Knapp to grab a 2-0 advantage. USM chipped away immediately, cutting the margin in half in the second when Nora Burrell singled through the left side to plate Desarae Chavez. An inning later, the Spires pulled even at 2-2 as Brooke Gerling sent a base hit back up the middle, scoring Raegan McConnell.

The Panthers nudged back in front in the fourth on a run-scoring single from Wright to make it 3-2, but McConnell responded with the Spires' biggest swing of regulation. The junior slugger homered to right-center in the fifth inning, a solo shot that tied the game at 3-3 and shifted momentum squarely toward Saint Mary. McConnell finished with a standout line at the plate, going 3-for-4 with two runs scored, a home run and a double to pace a 10-hit Spires attack.

Saint Mary's lineup consistently applied pressure, recording 10 hits and drawing three walks while striking out just once against York pitching. Vandervoort provided a spark in limited at-bats, reaching base three times while going 2-for-2 with a walk and the go-ahead RBI in the eighth. Burrell added a 2-for-3 performance with an RBI and a walk as the Spires' top third of the order keyed the comeback efforts. Defensively, Saint Mary committed just one error and held York to five runs on nine hits, with only two of those runs going in the book as earned.

In the circle, Spires game one starter, Grace Rose, worked all seven-plus innings, allowing nine hits and five total runs in 7.0 innings of work while limiting York to a single walk and four strikeouts. Rose repeatedly navigated traffic, stranding five York runners and keeping the Spires within striking distance despite the early 2-0 hole.

York finished with nine hits and three doubles, highlighted by Jones' game-winning extra-base hit and Knapp's two-way effort, which included 6.0 innings pitched and a pair of hits at the plate.

Game Two:

Desarae Chavez tossed a three-hit shutout and the Spire offense delivered well executed extra-base hits as the Spires took game two 3-0.

Chavez was dominant in the circle, striking out eight and walking just one in a complete-game effort. The right-hander scattered three hits over 7.0 innings and needed 95 pitches to finish off the shutout, keeping York off the board despite the host Panthers putting four runners on base. Her team played clean defense behind her, committing no errors while turning in a steady effort in the field.

Saint Mary broke through in the top of the second inning. After Nora Burrell reached, Kylie Vandervoort delivered the first big swing of game two, driving a triple down the right-field line to bring Burrell home and give the Spires a 1-0 lead. The early advantage allowed Chavez to work with a cushion and attack the York lineup.

The Spires added on in the fifth inning with an aggressive sequence that put pressure on the York defense. Audrey Spellman singled to start the push, and Grace Rose followed with a single to right. As Spellman advanced, a throwing error by the shortstop allowed her to come all the way around to score, making it 2-0. The run went down as unearned but proved pivotal in giving Saint Mary breathing room heading into the late innings.

In the top of the sixth, the Spires struck again with another triple. This time it was Rylie Wiseman, who drove a ball into the right-center gap to bring home Brooke Gerling. Wiseman's RBI triple stretched the lead to 3-0 and capped the Spires' scoring. Saint Mary finished with five hits, including two triples, while also swiping three bases and leaving five runners on base.

York starter Larson turned in a strong outing of her own in the loss. Larson went the distance, allowing three runs — only one of them earned — on five hits over 7.0 innings.

Backed by Chavez's complete-game performance and offensive power in the form of Vandervoort and Wiseman's triples, the Spires controlled the tempo from the second inning on. With the 3-0 victory, the Spires begin KCAC play even at 1-1.

USM will come home this weekend to host the McPherson College Bulldogs on Saturday, March 14^th in Leavenworth with the KCAC double header set to begin at 2:00 p.m. with game two to follow.