Leavenworth, Kan—

Game One:

Behind a complete-game shutout from starter Grace Rose and a pair of huge run-producing swings, the Spires edged McPherson 2-0 on Saturday afternoon at the USM Softball Complex.
Rose authored the decisive performance in the circle, scattering seven hits over 7.0 innings while striking out two and issuing no walks. The right-hander worked efficiently and avoided trouble despite the Spires committing two errors behind her, stranding McPherson runners in every inning on the way to the shutout.

The Spires broke a scoreless tie in the bottom of the fourth inning, capitalizing on one of their few scoring chances. After Raegan McConnell reached and gave way to pinch-runner Grace Brewer, Rose helped her own cause at the plate with a sacrifice fly to right field. Brewer tagged and scored on the play, giving USM a 1-0 lead and a boost to Rose in the circle.

Saint Mary added a crucial insurance run in the sixth. Leadoff hitter Kylie Vandervoort, who reached base twice on walks and swiped a base, came around after getting aboard again. Briana Solis doubled to left field to drive Vandervoort home, pushing the Spires' advantage to 2-0. Solis finished 2-for-3 with a double and an RBI, accounting for half of Saint Mary's four hits.

McPherson starter Hollingsworth kept her team in the game throughout, nearly matching Rose in a low-scoring pitchers' duel. Hollingsworth went 6.0 innings, allowing two earned runs on four hits with five strikeouts and two walks.

Offensively, the Bulldogs put pressure on the Spires' defense with aggressive baserunning, including a stolen base by pinch-runner Walters in the second inning. Towner led the Bulldogs with a 2-for-3 day that included a double. USM, however, offset its few small miscues with key defensive plays to keep McPherson off the scoreboard and erase scoring threats.

Game one win highlighted the Spires' consistently strong outings in the circle and timely hitting, with Rose's shutout and Solis' and Vandervoort's production setting the tone.

Game Two:

A five-run third inning and a dominant outing from Desarae Chavez lifted the Spires to an 8-0, five-inning run-rule victory in game two over the Bulldogs.

The Spires broke a scoreless tie in the third and never looked back, pounding out 12 hits and swiping six bases while Chavez spun a two-hit shutout in the circle.

USM's go-ahead third inning started with small ball and turned quickly into a full-scale offensive surge. Grace Rose opened the scoring with a run-scoring single that brought home Briana Solis for a 1-0 lead. Chavez then helped her own cause, lining an RBI single to center to score Rose and double the advantage.

The Spires kept the pressure on as pinch-runner Grace Brewer came around when Nora Burrell drove a triple to center, pushing the lead to 3-0. Burrell then added another run, quick on her feet and stole home later in the frame. Kylie Vandervoort capped the five-run outburst with a run-scoring single that plated Audrey Spellman, giving Saint Mary a commanding 5-0 cushion after three innings.

USM would subsequently put the game out of reach in the fifth. Spellman delivered a key blow, singling and taking advantage of a throwing error from the Bulldogs pitcher before coming through with a two-run single that scored Burrell and Chavez to extend the lead to 7-0. Moments later, Kate Robinette drove a triple to left, bringing in Spellman with the eighth run and triggering the run-rule margin.

Chavez was in control throughout. The game two starter tossed a complete-game, five-inning shutout, allowing just two hits with one walk and four strikeouts. McPherson's only extra-base hit came on a leadoff double to right by Lopez in the second inning, but Chavez and the Spire defense stranded the threat and kept the Bulldogs off the board the rest of the way.

Burrell finished with two hits, including a triple, two runs scored, one RBI and a stolen base to pace the Spires' attack. Spellman added two runs, a hit, a walk and a stolen base, while Chavez contributed at the plate as well with two hits and an RBI. Defensively, Saint Mary was flawless, committing no errors behind Chavez, while McPherson finished with one error and three runners left on base.

Lopez and Crocker combined in the circle for McPherson, surrendering eight earned runs on 12 hits with four walks and three strikeouts over 4 1/3 innings. Lopez worked the first two frames, allowing four runs on seven hits with three strikeouts and three walks.

Saint Mary's blend of aggressive base running, timely hitting and steady pitching provided a complete performance as the Spires continued to build momentum approaching the heart of the spring schedule.

The Spires have a busy home slate this week, first hosting the MidAmerica Nazarene Pioneers on Tuesday, March 17th for a double header beginning at 2:00 p.m. and returning to KCAC action at home on Wednesday, March 18th with game one again set for 2:00 p.m. with game two shortly to follow.