Lady Vikings drop two to BU

Junior Sydney Kaneshiro had three hits and drove in three runs for the Lady Vikings. (Chris Allen/Democrat-News) [Click to enlarge] [Order this photo]

Baker lost its field, but was the home team anyway when its Heart of America Conference doubleheader against the Missouri Valley College softball team was moved to the Lyon Bowl due to excessively wet grounds in Baldwin City, Kan.

The home-field advantage didn't come into play during the first game, won 5-2 by the Wildcats, but it may have effected the outcome of the nightcap -- which went nine innings before Baker pulled out a 6-5 decision.

The loss was the first sweep on its own field in league play for the Lady Vikings, who fell to fourth place in the standings. The Lady 'Cats (7-16, 3-5 HAAC), meanwhile, won their first double-dipper, having lost five of their previous six games -- all conference contests.

Baker scored three times in the third inning of the opener, two on sophomore Katie Worley's double and another on an error, to take a 4-0 lead.

The margin was five runs before Valley erased the goose egg on the scoreboard, senior Lindsey Stapp smacking a one-out double to plate senior Kimberly Fuller -- whose walk led off the sixth inning.

Junior Sydney Kaneshiro had an RBI single in the seventh. The Lady Vikings got the tying run to the plate, but wound up stranding two runners.

The Lady 'Cats gradually built a five-run lead in the late game. Worley's run-scoring single was the only hit of Baker's two-run first inning, and she scored on freshman Maddy Overman's single in the third.

After a passed ball let in one run in the fifth, Worley doubled home a second tally.

Valley once more didn't score until the sixth inning, but this caught up in that lone frame. Senior Heather Sliger and Fuller singled to start the rally and Stapp walked to load the bases.

Kaneshiro delivered a two-run single and junior Kelly Smith's infield hit plated the third run. A groundout and junior Janae Borrego's double tied the score.

Freshman pitcher Janie Jungerman allowed only one hit and no runs during the next three innings, but her mound counterpart -- junior Chelsi Taylor, who got out of a two-on, one-out jam in the seventh -- tripled with one out in the ninth and was brought in by junior Kelsey Epperson's double for a sudden victory.

Valley banged out 10 hits during the second game, but left nine runners on base.

The Lady Vikings (22-17, 7-5) continue their marathon final week of the regular season, in which they play five twinbills in seven days, today at Avila.