Avalos Powers Lancers Past Bryant & Stratton with Two Home Runs, Five RBIs

Olivia Avalos delivered a dominant performance at the plate, belting two home runs and driving in five runs to lead the Lancers to a 10-8 extra-inning victory over Bryant & Stratton (WI) on Saturday.

The Lancers opened the scoring in the top of the first with an RBI groundout from Katalina Ybarra and an RBI single by Maya Hataway. Bryant & Stratton responded quickly, taking a 3-2 lead in the bottom half thanks to a two-run homer by Olivia Fietz and an RBI single by Madelyn Birling.

Ybarra tied the game at three in the third with a double to left field. In the fifth, Avalos gave the Lancers their biggest boost of the day, launching a grand slam to center field to give her team a 7-3 lead.

Bryant & Stratton answered again in the sixth with a three-run homer by Kayla Roidt, narrowing the gap to 7-6. Avalos continued her hot streak in the seventh with a solo shot to left, extending the lead to 8-6.

The home team fought back in the bottom of the seventh, tying the game at eight on a double and a sacrifice fly by Jenna Beaudin, sending the game to extras.

In the top of the eighth, Hataway came through once more with a clutch two-run single, giving the Lancers a 10-8 lead they would hold onto the rest of the way.

Nadia McCabe started in the circle for the Lancers, allowing six runs on nine hits over 5.1 innings. Grace Kitterman closed the door in relief. Holly Lowenberg pitched a complete game for Bryant & Stratton, giving up 10 runs (six earned) on 14 hits across eight innings.

The Lancers totaled 14 hits in the game. Hataway and Tyler Brock led the charge with three hits apiece. Avalos, Ybarra, and Skye Meler each added multi-hit games. Shayanne St Louis swiped three bases as the Lancers stole four in total.

Bryant & Stratton recorded 11 hits of their own. Birling led the team with three hits, while Beaudin and Gia Cobert each chipped in multiple hits. Roidt drove in three runs with her sixth-inning homer, and the defense turned a double play to limit damage early.

Game 2: 11-12 (8 innings)
 

Lancers Fall in Extra-Inning Walk-Off Heartbreaker to Bryant & Stratton, 12-11

Despite another monster performance from Olivia Avalos, the Lancers came up just short in a wild extra-inning battle, falling 12-11 to Bryant & Stratton (WI) on Saturday after a walk-off single in the eighth.

With the game tied at 11 in the bottom of the eighth, Olivia Fietz delivered the final blow with a base hit that drove in the game-winning run.

Avalos was electric at the plate, going 3-for-5 with two home runs, five RBIs, and three runs scored. Her solo shot to center in the top of the seventh gave the Lancers a brief 11-10 lead.

Katalina Ybarra got the Lancers started in the first with a two-run homer to left. She and Maya Hataway each collected four hits, setting the tone for a 19-hit offensive outburst by the Lancers. Hataway, Skye Meler, Gretchen Hansen, and Shayanne St Louis also had multi-hit games.

After trailing 3-2 early, the Lancers took a 6-3 lead in the third, thanks to RBI singles from Ybarra and Hataway and a three-run bomb from Avalos. But Bryant & Stratton responded in the bottom half with a six-run frame, fueled by timely hitting and a two-run single from Lily Fairfield, to surge ahead 10-6.

The Lancers clawed back with one run in the fifth and four more across the sixth and seventh, including Avalos' second homer of the game. However, Joscelyn Bennett tied the game at 11 in the bottom of the seventh with a solo homer, setting the stage for the walk-off in extras.

Nadia McCabe provided 3.1 solid innings of relief for the Lancers, allowing just one earned run on three hits. Grace Kitterman took the loss, giving up five runs across three innings. Bryant & Stratton starter Kylie Stark lasted 2.1 innings, allowing five runs on seven hits.

Bryant & Stratton tallied 14 hits in the win. Fairfield went 3-for-4 with four RBIs, while Bennett also collected three hits and a home run. Fietz and Gia Cobert added multi-hit efforts, and the team drew six walks.

Despite the loss, the Lancers' offense continues to fire on all cylinders, with 48 hits and 34 runs over their last three games.