Des Moines, Iowa — No. 18 Central Methodist softball bounced back in emphatic fashion Monday afternoon, sweeping No. 17 Grand View in a Heart Conference doubleheader on the road in Des Moines.
The Eagles claimed a 5-4 victory in the opener before securing the series with an 8-2 win in game two.
The sweep moves Central Methodist to 26-12 overall and 12-5 in conference play. Grand View falls to 24-12 and 12-6 in the Heart of America.
Game One: Central Methodist 5 - Grand View 4
Central Methodist capitalized on timely power and early offense to edge the Vikings in a tightly contested opener.
The Eagles struck first in the second inning when Madison Roberts launched a two-run home run to give CMU a 2-0 advantage. They extended the lead in the third as Elizabeth Palumbo delivered a clutch two-run double, scoring Kaysie Jolley and Joely Crider to make it 4-0.
After Grand View chipped away with three runs across the third and fourth innings, Kinlei Boley provided a crucial insurance run with a solo home run in the fourth, pushing the lead to 5-1.
Grand View threatened late, pulling within one on a solo homer in the seventh, but Boley shut the door in the circle to earn her second save of the season.
Palumbo led the offense with two hits and two RBI, while Roberts and Boley each added home runs and combined for three RBI.
In the circle, Karlie Barnum earned the win, tossing 3.2 innings, while Anna Stesia Ballew provided middle relief. Boley closed out the final two innings to secure the victory.
Game Two: Central Methodist 8 - Grand View 2
The Eagles carried their momentum into game two, using a big middle innings surge to complete the sweep.
After falling behind 2-0 in the first inning, Central responded in the third. Boley and Brianna Craig each delivered RBI singles to tie the game.
CMU broke things open in the fourth inning with four runs. Crider sparked the rally with a solo home run before Boley came through again with a two-run single. Craig added another RBI to cap the inning and give the Eagles a 6-2 lead.
Emma King put the finishing touches on the win in the seventh with a two-run home run, sealing the 8-2 victory.
King paced the offense with a three-for-five performance, including a home run, two RBI, and three runs scored. Boley drove in three runs, while Craig added two hits and two RBI.
Boley was dominant in the circle, tossing a complete game to improve to 3-3 on the season. She allowed just two runs on seven hits while striking out four and issuing no walks.
Up Next:
Central continues its road trip of Iowa with a doubleheader against William Penn Thursday, April 16 in Oskaloosa, Iowa. First pitch of game one is set for 2:00 p.m.
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