Lady Vikings split HAAC opener

FAYETTE -- The Missouri Valley College softball team followed an active trip to warm Arizona, in which it played 13 games in six days, with enforced idleness during its first week home.

The Lady Vikings finally got on the field Monday at Fayette, winning their Heart of America Conference debut, 3-2, over Central Methodist. The Lady Eagles took the nightcap, also 3-2, in eight inning.

Methodist took a 2-0 lead in the second inning of the opener, both runs unearned on three errors.

However, that was all the damage they would do to junior Tatum Hathcock, who tossed five straight scoreless frames for her fifth win in a row.

Junior Janae Borrego doubled in a Valley run in the top of the third inning, junior Wendy Garcia's single tied the contest in the fifth and freshman Cassidy Baggett -- the HAAC "player of the week" for her performance in the desert --broke the deadlock with a single after junior Kelly Smith began a two-out rally with her second bunt single of the game.

A double by sophomore Stephanie Sullivant in the first inning and a booted grounder in the second gave the Lady Eagles (16-10, 3-1 HAAC) a 2-0 lead in the late game.

The Lady Vikings tied it with two runs in the third, Borrego cracking an RBI double and coming in on a wild pitch. Senior Katie Dove ended the game on a walk-off homer with one out in the bottom of the eighth.

Valley (16-13, 1-1) hopes to back on the field Thursday for a league clash at Baker.