Truman Athletics
Kevin White, Director of Athletics Communications

KIRKSVILLE – During the aforementioned seven-game winning streak, the Truman State University softball team has outscored its opponents 50-6 with the last four of those seven contests being shortened due to the run rule. In that same span, the Bulldogs have hit .379 (69-for-182) to go with a miniscule team ERA of 0.65 in 43 innings. Illinois Springfield represented Truman’s latest victim on Saturday as the Bulldogs swept the Prairie Stars with scores of 12-1 in six innings and 8-0 in five innings.

With Saturday’s dominant showing, Truman improved to 23-10 overall (most games above .500 since end of 2017 season), 11-3 at home and got back to the .500 mark in GLVC play at 9-9. Saturday’s effort also marked the first time the Bulldogs have run-ruled both games of a GLVC doubleheader since March 29, 2014 vs. Missouri S&T. On the other side, Illinois Springfield fell to 20-18 overall, 9-7 in league action and 5-7 in true road games.

Truman hit five home runs in game one, its most in a single game since five on March 9, 2015 (Northwood) and most in a single home game since seven on April 19, 2013 (Northeastern State). As for the combined six blasts on the day, that’s the most for the Bulldogs since they hit six at William Jewell on April 10, 2016 and most at home since that 2013 Northeastern State doubleheader.

On Saturday alone, Truman hit .434 (23-for-53) with seven Bulldogs registering multiple hits including Morgan McMahan (5-for-7), Christa Reisinger (4-for-6), Adrienne Compton (3-for-5), Kayla Quanstrum (2-for-4), Alyssa Rivera (3-for-7), Brooke VunCannon (2-for-5), and Lauren Bowman (2-for-6). Both of Bowman’s hits came in game one as Truman is now 7-0 in games that the freshman catcher records a hit. The rookie backstop has caught fire with seven hits in her last 16 at-bats for a .438 batting average.

Much like Bowman, McMahan’s bat has also come to life. One week ago following game one of the UMSL doubleheader, the senior’s average had dropped to a season-low .207 because of an 0-for-14 slump. Since then, the first baseman has nine hits in her last 17 at-bats (.529 average) including two bombs in game one on Saturday for the first time in her career. In the three seasons prior to this one, the Blue Springs, Mo. native had a combined nine home runs. She already has seven to her name this year alone. McMahan also recorded her first three-hit game of the season in Saturday’s game-one victory.

For Reisinger, her average had stooped to a season low .568 after going without a hit against UMSL. Since that point, the senior centerfielder is 9-for-13 (.692 average) to bump her season average back up to .583. Saturday, the left hander had one stolen base in each game and is now tied with Christen Belcher (2005-08) for the career record with 153.

Switching over to pitching, Alyssa Hajduk continues to show the hot hand as she won her fifth-straight decision in game one to improve to 11-3 on the season. Since her win-loss record of 5-7 as a freshman, Hajduk has gone 23-10 in the last two seasons. In just her last 10 outings this year, the southpaw has surrendered two earned runs or less in each of them to get her ERA down to 2.21, its lowest since February of last season.

Truman’s game-two winner, Lauren Dale, improved to 11-6 and tossed the program’s first no hitter since Kindra Henze and Kirsten Krause combined to do it on Feb. 23, 2013 vs. Sioux Falls. Dale’s appearance on Saturday represented the team’s first solo no-no since Kelsea Dorsey did it on April 10, 2012 vs. future GLVC foe, Lindenwood.

Next up, Truman will host McKendree (18-24, 3-13 GLVC) on Monday with game one’s first pitch set for 1 p.m. With five-consecutive GLVC wins, the Bulldogs have catapulted themselves into sole possession of seventh place in the league standings.