COLUMBIA, Mo. — The Hesston College softball team played a four-game series against Stephens College over the weekend, highlighted by a high-scoring win in the series finale.
Game 1 — Stephens 16, Hesston 11
The Larks and Stephens opened the series with a high-scoring game that saw multiple lead changes before Stephens pulled away late for a 16–11 win.
Stephens scored two runs in the second inning to take the early lead, but Hesston answered with a big third inning. Gabriella Pantoja reached base and came around to score before Chloe Merjil drove in a run with a single. Later in the inning, Ciara Mendez delivered the big hit with a bases-clearing double to drive in three runs, and Skye Gomez followed with an RBI single to give the Larks a 5–2 lead.
Stephens responded with four runs in the bottom of the third to retake the lead, but Hesston answered again in the fourth inning. Mia Manzo drove in a run with a single, and Hesston took advantage of errors and passed balls to score four runs in the inning and move back in front 9–6.
Stephens tied the game in the fourth and then broke the game open in the sixth inning with a big inning, eventually pulling away for the 16–11 win despite Hesston finishing with 15 hits in the game.
Game 2 — Stephens 7, Hesston 2
Stephens used a big first inning to take control early and went on to defeat the Larks 7–2 in the second game of the series.
Stephens scored three runs in the first inning on a home run and added two more runs in the second to build a 5–1 lead. Hesston scored in the second inning when Skye Gomez singled and later came around to score on an RBI single from Chloe Merjil.
The Larks added another run in the third inning when Abigail Cox drove in a run with a single after Gomez doubled earlier in the inning, but Stephens added two more runs in the sixth inning to secure the win.
Hesston collected eight hits in the game, including multiple hits from Gomez and Merjil, but were unable to put together a big inning.
Game 3 — Stephens 13, Hesston 5
Hesston scored early but Stephens responded with a big second inning and held on for a 13–5 win in the third game of the series.
The Larks took a 1–0 lead in the first inning when Alexis Newlin reached base and later scored on an RBI single from Ciara Mendez. Stephens answered in the second inning with a seven-run inning to take control of the game.
Hesston responded with four runs in the fourth inning. Serena Hewes drove in a run after reaching on an error, Corlyn McGaha hit an RBI double, and Gabriella Pantoja added a sacrifice fly as the Larks cut into the deficit.
Stephens added runs in the fourth and fifth innings to extend the lead and secure the win despite Hesston finishing with nine hits in the game.
Game 4 — Hesston 15, Stephens 3
The Larks closed the series with a dominant 15–3 win behind a huge offensive performance.
Hesston scored two runs in the second inning when Gabriella Pantoja singled and Chloe Merjil drove in two runs with a double. Stephens scored a run in the third to cut the lead to 2–1, but Hesston broke the game open in the sixth inning.
The Larks scored seven runs in the sixth inning, highlighted by a two-RBI double from Merjil and RBI hits from Mia Manzo, Ciara Mendez and Abigail Cox. Hesston added six more runs in the seventh inning to put the game away.
Merjil led the Larks with four hits and seven RBIs in the game, while Manzo, Cox and Pantoja each had multiple hits as Hesston finished with 17 hits in the win.
The Larks will return home Friday, April 3, for a doubleheader against Arlington Baptist.
