Jessup Goes the Distance Fanning 10 in Road Split

Jessup Goes the Distance Fanning 10 in Road Split-Wil Teague, Sports Inforamtion Director, 4/8/25

Pioneer Softball (11-17) split in today's non-conference doubleheader against Talladega College (8-16) with a game two win against the Tornadoes. 

Game 1

Crowley's Ridge- 0

Talladega College- 5

Talladega, AL- Talladega College took the opening game, holding the Lady Pioneers scoreless as the Tornado bullpen fanned 13 Lady Pioneers and allowed two hits in the contest. Karsen Overshine and Lilly Wessel were the two Pioneers with hits, with Overshine doubling in the top of the third and Wessel singling in the top of the seventh. Natalie Brightwell took the loss, dropping to 6-4 on the year, surrendering 5 runs off 13 hits over 3.2 innings. 

Game 2

Crowley's Ridge- 8

Talladega College- 4

Talladega, AL- Freshman RHP Ava Jessup propelled the Pioneers to a game two victory with the Louisiana native earning her first win of the season by going the distance from inside the circle, allowing 4 runs (2 earned) off 10 hits while waiving 10 Lady Tornadoes in 7.0 innings. Jessup was supported by a bounty of Pioneer runs with CRC pushing 8 to the plate off thirteen hits as a team. What separated the two teams was Crowley's Ridge's massive run-filled second inning, where the Pioneers scored 5 runs off 5 hits, including a 2 RBI double from Maddie Burris and a 2 RBI inside the park homer from speedy sophomore Hadlee DeFries. The Pioneers tacked on the final 3 runs in their next at-bat with junior Lilly Wessel keeping her rhythm at the plate and hammering her fourth homerun since March 25th, scoring 2, and Shelbie Walker bringing in the last run with a groundout to third. 

Up Next: The Lady Pioneers will defend their home field, returning to Pioneer Park hosting Hannibal-LaGrange this Friday for an American Midwest Conference doubleheader matchup. #GOPIONEERS