Late-Inning Surge Confirms Avila’s Sunday Sweep of York

KANSAS CITY, Mo. – After a dominating performance in game one, Avila softball (17-9, 4-0 KCAC) needed a massive late surge late in game two to get a win, but that's exactly what the Eagles got to secure a pair of run-rule wins over York (3-17, 1-3 KCAC) on St. Patrick's Day Sunday at The Z.

Avila's second KCAC doubleheader of the 2024 season followed a fairly similar script to their first one against Bethany about ten days ago: Avila pieced together more than enough timely offense to back a complete-game shutout from McKayla Cotton in game one before locking in to a tense game two where a late home run was finally what put the Eagles in front for good. Just like in that game against Bethany, Stephanie Hayes provided that critical go-ahead home run, but unlike in that game, a lot more Avila offense followed that, leading the Eagles to their second run-rule victory of the day.

It was truly a team effort from the Eagle offense and a "death by a thousand cuts" type of experience for York and starting pitcher Bailey Hardey, who has had a solid season so far as the Panthers' ace and pitched valiantly Sunday, throwing all but one inning of the doubleheader. The Eagles simply sized her up, however: a handful of York errors throughout the day ensured that not every run Avila scored was earned, but still, in total, Avila netted nine runs on nine hits in game one and then 14 runs on 14 hits in game two. No Eagle had more than two hits in either game in yet another true testament to this team's depth and versatility.

In their first games home in Kansas City after a full week in California, Avila sure looked like the sharper team on Sunday. A couple of Panther errors in the first inning sank the ship before it even left the harbor, and Avila took full advantage to score six runs, most of which ended up being unearned, off of Hardey in the first. Julia Douglass delivered an RBI double to punctuate the frame, in what ended up being Avila's only extra-base hit of the contest.

The Eagles' other eight hits in the game were singles, a nice return to form for a squad that has at times been reliant on the long ball this season. Hallie Campbell drove in a run with a hit in the second inning and Jordan Pollo drove in two in the third which put the Eagles up by more than eight runs, enough to set the scene for a potential early victory.

And McKayla Cotton did the rest. After an excellent overall week pitching in her home state, Cotton returned to The Z to start game one of this doubleheader and was excellent, allowing just a pair of singles and one walk against three strikeouts over five scoreless innings, her second complete-game shutout in as many KCAC contests this season. She earned her eighth win of the season and lowered her ERA on the week to under 2 as Avila prevailed in game one with a dominating 9-0 win.

After getting thoroughly outplayed in game one, York came right back to the field ready to compete in game two and gave the Eagles a serious test for as long as they could. The Panthers took advantage of four Chaunelle Penn walks in the first inning to score their first run of the day before the Eagles immediately vaulted in front thanks to a two-run home run by Stephanie Hayes, and RBI hits from Montana Stangel and Ka'Zem Wood, giving the Eagles a 4-1 lead after two.

It looked like the Eagles could be on their way to another lopsided win, but the Panthers had other ideas. An error helped the visitors score on in the third, and then first baseman Sofia Perez crushed a grand slam to left field in the fourth to silence the crowd and put York back in front 6-4. Madyson Withey entered the game to get the Eagles through the jam and she retired the first batter she faced to settle things down, but the damage had already been done.

The Eagles were now facing some adversity for the first time in the series, chasing two runs at the halfway point of regulation. But a resilient Eagle squad wasted no time, not only canceling out York's previous surge but one-upping it, vaulting back in front with five runs on four hits to take a lead they would not relinquish. Maya Richards led off the bottom of the fourth with a walk and Kennedee Lara followed with a bunt single. Chelsea Kurtz then drove in Richards with a single to left, ahead of a walk from Wood to load the bases, and Stephanie Hayes provided yet another clutch hit in what's been a red-hot month of March, a grand slam to left to match Perez's blast from just a few minutes prior.

That shot was Hayes' 11^th of the season and fifth of the week, and it gave the Eagles a 9-6 lead. They weren't done. Kurtz added to a mammoth week in all phases by doubling in Katie Wentworth in the fifth, and in the sixth, with Hardey finally out of the game for the first time all day, the Eagles took advantage. Campbell stepped up for a pinch-hit appearance in the sixth and obliterated a three-run homer off of Malia Alvarez, putting the Eagles one run away from wrapping the game up early. With still no outs in the innings, Wentworth later walked, and a pair of groundouts moved pinch-runner Zoleecia Grayson to third, where she coasted home on a game-winning bloop single down the right field line off the bat of Ka'Zem Wood, the final exclamation point on a 14-6 victory in six innings for Avila and a 4-0 start to conference play in 2024.

Kurtz finished the day with four hits, three RBI, five runs scored and six stolen bases. Hayes homered twice and drove in six total runs in game two. Withey retired all seven batters she faced in game two, with three strikeouts and no hits allowed over 2.1 innings of relief to earn her second victory of the season.

Up next, Avila softball will return to The Z for another KCAC doubleheader this Wednesday, March 20 against Saint Mary. The first game between the local rivals will begin at 2 PM; as always, you can watch all the action live and for free on the Avila Sports Network.