The Briar Cliff softball team swept Sterling Saturday, improving their overall record to 11-5 on the season. Briar Cliff is now 4-0 against the Warriors this year, after sweeping them in their season opening series on February 11.
“Our pitching staff really did a nice job keeping us in both games. We executed well,” said head coach Erin Bly. “On offense we couldn’t seem to find many holes, but we had some really nice performances from Karis Gifford and Kenadee Loew.”
Game 1 – W, 5-3
After both teams left a runner on base in the first inning, it was the Blue and Gold who scored first. Karis Gifford singled to left field and moved into scoring position by stealing second base. Gifford’s aggressiveness on the basepath paid off, as a Kenadee Loew single down the right field line plated Gifford.
The Warriors scored twice in the bottom of the fifth off three hits, taking a 2-1 lead. The Chargers tied it up at 2-2 in the sixth, with a RBI single by Gifford to center field. Sterling managed a runner on second and third with two outs in the bottom half of the inning but were shut out after a Maddi Duncan strike out ended the inning.
Briar Cliff put up three runs in the seventh to take a 5-2 lead. Callie Billings drove in Karina Cupples to start the scoring, while Aubrey Chichurka would plate Billings with a single to center field. Kennedy Andersen singled to left field, and after an error by the left fielder, Kylee Lukes would score the final run of the inning. Sterling scored one run in the seventh, but Duncan would record three straight outs to end the contest.
Duncan improves her record to 6-1 in the pitching circle and with nine strikeouts moves her season total to 74. She allowed three runs on seven hits in her fourth complete game.
Gifford went 3-for-4 from the plate with a RBI, one run and one stolen base. Billings and Lukes each recorded a double, while Lukes scored twice.
Game 2 – W, 1-0
The second game of the doubleheader was a pitcher’s duel between Katelyn Kotlarz and Sterling’s Adrianna Castillo.
Kotlarz was nearly perfect in her one-hit, two walk shutout with nine strikeouts. The Chargers managed six hits off Castillo but were held to one run.
The Warriors threatened first, in the bottom of the second with runners on second and third with two outs. However, Kotlarz forced a fly out to center field, ending the inning.
Gifford singled in the third and would swipe her second stolen base of the day. She would move to third off a Billings infield single and would later score as Billings attempted to steal second base, giving BC a 1-0 lead.
One run was all Briar Cliff needed, as Kotlarz held the Warriors hitless over the five innings with six strikeouts.
Billings went 2-for-3 from the plate to lead the Chargers, and Gifford stole her second base of the day.
Kotlarz improves to 4-3 on the year, throwing a one-hit, nine strikeout shutout.
The Chargers will be back in action Friday at the McPherson College Classic in McPherson, Kansas. The Chargers kick off the classic against McPherson at 11:15 a.m. and will face Evangel at 1:30 later in the day.
Briar Cliff Softball sweeps Sterling
