Perfection has been the theme to the Baker University softball in its first four games of Heart of America Athletic Conference play.
The Wildcats are 4-0 in the HAAC after sweeping doubleheaders against Graceland University and Culver-Stockton College Friday and Saturday, respectively, including a perfect game from junior Erin Greenwood in the conference opener.
Greenwood faced the minimum against the Yellowjackets in game one of Friday’s doubleheader and struck out nine batters to lead the Wildcats to a 1-0 victory. The lone run of the game came on a solo home run from sophomore Alyse Menghini in the fourth inning off of Graceland’s Alyssa Greenstreet.
The Wildcats carried momentum into game two by taking a 1-0 lead in the first inning with an RBI double from freshman Mallorie Nelson.
The Yellowjackets answered with a solo home run from Leah Rushman in the third inning to tie the game at 1-1. It would remain that way until the Wildcats broke the game open with three runs in the top of the seventh to complete the sweep. Greenwood, Menghini and junior Renata Dill drove in runs to give the Wildcats a 4-1 win.
Nelson was on the mound for the first three innings of game two, but Greenwood came in to throw four more scoreless innings to shut down the Yellowjackets.
Baker returned home Saturday for a doubleheader against Culver-Stockton, and Greenwood went the distance to lift BU to a 5-1 victory in game one.
Senior Summer Kelley and junior Tara Chumley paced Baker’s offense with two RBIs apiece while Greenwood limited C-SC to five hits and recorded 12 strikeouts.
Culver-Stockton was able to take an early 1-0 lead in game two, but BU scored three runs in both the first and third innings and once in the second, fifth and sixth on its way to 9-2 victory.
Dill, Kelley, Nelson and juniors Cami Williams and Brooke Plummer contributed three hits each to Baker’s 16-hit attack with Williams driving in a game-high three runs. Nelson pitched the first four innings before Plummer came on in relief to close out the game.
The 4-0 start in conference play improved the Wildcats’ overall record to 11-5. Baker will go back on the road Monday for a non-conference matchup against William Penn University in Oskaloosa, Iowa. Game one will begin at 4 p.m.