PRATT, Kan.- The Beavers welcomed the Independence Pirates to Lemon Park for Pratt's second conference matchup, as the two games resulted in an afternoon split.

GAME ONE

On the shoulders of starting pitcher Erica Spencer, the Beavers kept the Pirates at bay, winning 3-1.

Spencer not only pitched all seven innings for Pratt, but was also responsible for all three of her team's runs, courtesy of a 3rd inning three-run bomb. The Oklahoma native allowed only one run (unearned) on three hits, while striking our eight Independence batters. 

Trailing 1-0 entering the bottom of the 3rd inning, the Beavers found fortune at the plate. Marissa Reina began the inning with a leadoff single, followed by the slap-hitting Sami DeFord, who poked an infield single into the 5-6 hole. After consecutive outs, Spencer sent a two-out dinger beyond the center field fence to give the Beavers a 3-1 lead.

Spencer proceeded to retire 12 of the next 14 batters, the only allowance being a pair of singles. 

Kylie Fletcher was credited with a double in one of her three at-bats, while Jessica Ebeling and Marissa Reina also notched singles to their stat lines. 

GAME TWO

A late Pratt 7th-inning rally didn't pick up enough steam, as the Beavers dropped the second game of today's double-dip by a score of 4-3.

Alyssa Reyes went the distance for the Beavers, allowing four runs (three earned) on seven hits, striking out five while walking none. Reina led the Beavers with three hits, including a double, in three at-bats. She also picked up a walk while driving in two of the Beavers three runs. Fletcher and Spencer also had two hits each. 

Rayne Cottle gave Pratt a early 1-0 lead in the 3rd inning with an RBI single, though the Pirates struck back in their half of the 4th inning, re-gaining the lead 2-1. One of Reina's RBIs came in the bottom of the 5th inning, as she drove Spencer home with a run-scoring single. 

Independence tacked on two more runs in the 6th inning, leaving Pratt down 4-2 into the last of the 7th inning. Spencer led off the inning with a line-drive single up the middle, but a pair of fly outs cornered Pratt into its last out. Though, Reina lined an opposite-field double down the left field line, scoring Spencer from first base. The comeback wasn't meant to be however, as Reyes lined out to third base to end the game. 

The Beavers are back at home on Saturday for a doubleheader against Barton, with the two games scheduled for 2 PM and 4 PM.