Reivers Dig the Long Ball, Power Their Way to Double-Header Sweep

Enid, Oklahoma

Solid pitching and a trio of longballs led the way to a season-opening win for Iowa Western Softball Friday in Oklahoma.

Sophomore Brook Melnychuk pitched a complete-game four-hitter, striking out six, and Aujenai Gregory, Tayler Floyd, and Logan Corcoran all went deep as the Reivers topped Northern Oklahoma-Enid 3-1.

The Reivers struck with a pair of homers in the top of the 2nd, while NOC-Enid got their only run in the bottom half.  Corcoran's long ball in the 5th stitched things up for the Reivers offensively.  Mattilyn Reiling went 2-4 with a pair of singles in her Reiver debut and Floyd finished the day with a pair of hits including her solo shot in the second.  The only other extra-base hit in game one, outside of the three homers, was Madeline Layman's double.

"Melynchuk threw great and we gave her just enough offensively to get it done," said Head Coach Ben Greer.

Game two was a bit more offensive, although through four you wouldn't have guessed it as NOC-Enid led 2-0 on a pair of second-inning runs against Reivers starter Hannah Smart.  Smart would shut down the Jets in the third, fourth, and fifth and it was in the top half of that inning where the Reivers struck.

Down 2-0, it was Layman leading off with a double that set the table for a big inning for the visitors.  A.J. Gregory followed with a run-scoring single and the line moved from there.  Gregory scored on Tayler Floyd's single, Floyd scored on Jessica Strandlund's single and she came in on a Myla Beckstrom 2-run blast to make the score 5-2 IWCC.  The Reivers wrapped things up with a pair of runs on a Matti Reiling triple as she plated Corcoran and scored as well on an error by NOC-Enid.

Leading 7-2, the Reivers upped that number with another run in the sixth as Beckstrom singled home Strandlund with two away.  NOC-Enid would rally for five runs of their own in the bottom of the sixth before Melnychuk relieved Smart to end the Jets rally.

Karlie Chonis provided the final margin in a 10-7 Reiver win, launching a 2-run homer to score both herself and Layman.  Melynchuk struck out the side in the bottom of the seventh to clinch the doubleheader sweep.

"I'm just super proud of the way they fought," said Greer after the game, "they had every reason to fold in game two when the hits weren't coming and then came up big.  They absolutely made plays when it mattered and surviving that rally is going to pay off as the season continues."

The Reivers, who were initially scheduled to play the games next weekend, now have two weeks off before returning to Oklahoma to face Northeast Oklahoma A&M on February 20th.  The team is set to open their home season on Friday, March 5th against North Platte Community College.

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