Eagles Pound Warriors to Stay Perfect in Conference Play

KANSAS CITY, Mo. – Avila's offense struck for a total of 19 runs, both Payton Walter and Chaunelle Penn tossed complete games, and Avila softball (16-10, 4-0 KCAC) defeated Sterling (6-14, 0-4 KCAC) twice on Wednesday afternoon at The Z, keeping the Eagles perfect to start conference play in 2023 and giving Charlie Kennedy his 600th career victory as a collegiate head coach.

Less than 24 hours after they scored 18 runs in a doubleheader sweep against Saint Mary, the Eagles returned to The Z for just their third home doubleheader of the season and reeled off 19 more runs against Sterling, giving the Eagles a grand total of 37 runs through their first four conference games, the fifth-most of any KCAC team – including teams that have played six conference games already.

Wednesday was another showcase for what has often been an explosive Avila offense this season. Chelsea Kurtz engineered the first run of game one by walking and scoring in the bottom of the first and though Sterling found a quick answer courtesy of a leadoff home run in the second from Madilynn Green the Eagles got a quick response of their own off a response solo homer from Ka'Zem Wood to lead off the bottom of the second.

That put the Eagles up 2-1, and they never looked back in the game. Avila pushed one more across in the second before the Eagles completely broke the game open in the fourth, erupting for seven runs on seven hits to take command. Wood once again led off with a single and Talley Cole followed by blasting an RBI double into the left field fence. Ellysa Butterfield singled, and so did Kurtz and Kennedee Lara, giving the Eagles five straight hits to open the inning.

Lara's knock drove in two runs, and Avila got three more home off a double from Julia Douglass and a single from McKayla Cotton. Cole threw out a runner stealing in the fifth to help Walter through her fourth scoreless frame of the day, wrapping up a 10-1 run-rule victory for the Eagles in just five innings. Walter threw her second straight complete game, allowing just four hits; five Eagles recorded a pair of hits in the contest.

After a breezy opener to the doubleheader, Wednesday's second game was a little tenser, even though Avila ultimately ended up winning by a comfortable margin. The Eagle offense wasted no time, striking for four runs in the bottom of the first inning, thanks to a an RBI triple from Lara followed by a two-run triple from Douglass.

Green doubled in a run for the Warriors in the second, but the Eagles answered with three more in the third: Stephanie Hayes tripled in pinch-running Kayla Kindler before Douglass doubled in Hayes and scored on a dropped fly.

Sterling once again pushed across a single run in the fifth, but Penn locked it down to limit the damage. Cole and Wood scored in the fifth inning to get the Eagles within a run of a walkoff and, more importantly, provide some insurance, and that was more than enough breathing room for Penn to finish off her first complete game of the season in a 9-3 Avila victory. Douglass led the offensive effort with a pair of extra-base hits, three RBI and two runs scored.

600 career victories is the latest impressive milestone in a longstanding successful career for Charlie Kennedy, who has experienced success at every level of college softball. After finishing in the top eight of the KCAC a year ago in his first season, the team has designs on going a step further in 2023, and they're off to a perfect start. Up next, however, the path gets a lot rockier as Avila readies to face #19-ranked Ottawa this Saturday on the road. First pitch in the doubleheader is currently set for 1 PM; as always, you can watch all the action on the KCAC Network.