Lady Vikings sweep Culver

The Missouri Valley College softball team won for the eighth time in 10 games Saturday with a Heart of America Conference doubleheader sweep of visiting Culver-Stockton, 2-1 and 3-1.

The Lady Vikings trailed only once during the day, when junior Danielle Kaltmeyer singled in a run in the top of the first game in the opener. That was all that junior pitcher Tatum Hathcock would allow, blanking the Lady Wildcats the rest of the way for her sixth win in a row.

Valley tied the game in the bottom of the second, which began with senior Heather Sliger's single. A two-out error allowed the run to score.

Junior Katie Thomas was just as tough on the mound as Hathcock, keeping the Lady Vikings from going ahead until the bottom of the seventh. Sliger reached on a dropped fly ball, senior Kimberly Fuller singled and a grounder by junior Sara Irminger ended the game with the winning run crossing the plate.

Other than junior Jessica Webb's solo homer in the second inning, the Lady 'Cats (8-16, 2-4 HAAC) were stopped by freshman Janie Jungerman and sophomore Stacy Buschman -- Jungerman going six innings and Buschman earning the save with a hitless seventh.

Valley scored in the bottom of the first inning on a single by junior Edna Gutierrez, two passed balls and Sliger's base hit.

Two more runs crossed during the Lady Vikings' fourth, Irminger starting the rally with a two-out single. Senior Esparanza Reyes drove in the go-ahead run with a triple and scored on a passed ball.

Valley was out-hit, 9-8, during the series, but had one fewer error. The Lady Vikings (18-13, 3-1) league home game against Benedictine has been postponed to Tuesday.