Softball Drops Sunday Home Doubleheader Games to William Woods

Marshall, Mo., (Mar. 2, 2025)- The Missouri Valley College softball team hosted William Woods (Mo.), Sunday afternoon, at Lyon Bowl in a non-conference doubleheader. The Vikings lost a low-scoring opener, 3-0, and fell in the second game, 9-1.

Game one started with Junior Pitcher Kyleigh Villarreal (Fenton, Mo.) facing the minimum in the top of the first inning, striking out two batters. After another scoreless inning for the Owls, Missouri Valley threatened in the bottom of the second as both Senior Designated Player Brittney Slocum (Clovis, Calif.) and Junior Catcher Makayla Casjens (Galt, Calif.) singled, but they were left stranded to end at-bat. Both teams were unable to produce any runs in the third inning and the score was tied at 0-0. William Woods put two runners on-base in the fourth and fifth innings, but Villarreal got out of each inning by stranding the runners on-base. Freshman Third Baseman Allison Loucas (Twin Lakes, Wisc.) singled in the bottom of the fifth but was unable to score and the Vikings were kept scoreless. The Owls eventually went in front in the top of the sixth inning, using a two-run homer to make it a 2-0 score. Junior Second Baseman Aniah Castruita (South El Monte, Calif.) started the bottom of the sixth with a double, but was left stranded. William Woods produced one run on two hits and one MVC error in the top of the seventh inning to hold a 3-0 advantage. Missouri Valley was not able to produce any runs and they were unable to climb back late, and fell by a final score of 3-0.

Junior Centerfielder Jesykah Foster (Garden City, Kan.), Castruita and Slocum totaled two hits each, while Casjens had one hit. The loss went to Villarreal, who pitched 5.0 innings, giving up three hits and two earned runs with four strikeouts.

The second game opened with both teams going through the first inning scoreless, which included three strikeouts from Freshman Pitcher Morgan Clubb (Oak Grove, Mo.). Missouri Valley went in front in the bottom of the second, as Junior Shortstop Olivia Bettencourt (Murrieta, Calif.) hit a solo homer to make it a 1-0 score. William Woods answered back using four hits to produce four runs to go on top in the third inning, 4-1. After a scoreless inning for the Vikings, the Owls added to its lead in the fourth, as they scored four more runs on four hits to build up an 8-1 advantage. William Woods produced one run in the top of the fifth inning to hold a 9-1 lead. The Vikings were taken down in order in the bottom of the fifth, then were unable to create late in the game and suffered a 9-1 loss.

Bettencourt finished with one hit, one run scored and one RBI with the solo homer. The loss went to Sophomore Pitcher Chloe Shuff (Cypress, Calif.) who pitched the final 2.1 innings in relief, giving up six hits and two earned runs.

The pair of losses drop Missouri Valley to 3-7 on the season, while William Woods (Mo.) moves to 8-5.

Up next, the Vikings softball team will host Columbia College (Mo.) in a non-conference doubleheader, Mar. 7 starting at 1 p.m., at Lyon Bowl.

Game 1 Box Score - Click Here

Game 2 Box Score - Click Here

About Missouri Valley College

Known for its dynamic, richly diverse, and friendly educational environment, Missouri Valley College offers many opportunities to grow in mind, body, and spirit. Grounded in the liberal arts, undergraduate studies empower students to master interdisciplinary skills needed to succeed in a knowledge-based global society. MVC offers over 30 academic programs, study abroad program, extracurricular activities, and a wide variety of sports. The most popular majors include education and business, criminal justice and exercise science. Above all, Valley is committed to student success. For more information, call (660) 831-4000 or visit www.moval.edu.