Simpson sweeps Buena Vista in IIAC opener

INDIANOLA, Iowa – Jessica Barkley (Mitchellville, Iowa/Southeast Polk) went 3-for-5 with two RBIs and Whitney Oviatt (Carnation, Wash./Cedarcrest) added two wins in the circle as Simpson opened Iowa Conference play with a doubleheader sweep against Buena Vista Saturday afternoon at Simpson Softball Complex, winning game one 3-0 and game two 5-2.

Hitting under .200 entering the day, Barkley raised her batting average more than 40 points with her three-hit effort, going 1-for-2 in the opener and 2-for-3 with a double in game two. Oviatt (8-4) struck out eight batters while allowing two runs off six hits in 11 innings in the circle.

With the sweep, the Storm (13-6, 2-0 IIAC) increase their winning streak to seven games.

Shortstop Keri Sorensen (Bettendorf, Iowa/Pleasant Valley) showed off her power to the home crowd for the second series in a row, connecting on her second home run in three games with a solo shot to start the scoring in the second inning of game one. Sorensen leads the team with 12 RBIs on the year.

Barkley scored center fielder Kelsey Castensen (Harcourt, Iowa/Southeast Webster) with an RBI single later in the inning and catcher Allie Hock (Lawrence, Kan./Free State) drove in a run on a single in the sixth. Oviatt faced only four batters over the minimum in game one, striking out seven and giving up three hits in the complete-game shutout.

Trailing 3-0 in game two, the Beavers (3-7, 0-2) put together their only run-scoring inning in the fifth. After back-to-back hits opened the inning, Simpson head coach Henry Christowski brought Bryn Johnson (Laurens, Iowa/Laurens-Marathon) out of the dugout to replace Oviatt. Alexa Guessford and Amy Hasbrouck drove in runs in the inning as Buena Vista pulled within a run at 3-2.

Simpson added an insurance run with a run-scoring single off the bat of Castensen in the fifth and a double from first baseman Tieryn Potratz (Fort Dodge, Iowa/Fort Dodge) tacked on another in the sixth as Simpson built a 5-2 lead.

Johnson earned the save in game two, her first of the season. She went three innings and allowed three hits while striking out one. Oviatt went four innings in the win and was charged with both Buena Vista runs.

Simpson moves forward in the conference slate next Wednesday, April 7 when it travels to Dubuque to take on Dubuque in a doubleheader beginning at 3 p.m.