The Central Methodist softball team extended its winning streak to nine games with doubleheader sweeps at Peru State College on Saturday and Parkville University Sunday. Freshman pitcher and Fayette native Jordyn Ball threw her third career no-hitter in Saturday’s opener to earn the shutout and earned a complete-game shutout against Park on Sunday.

The Eagles now stand at 30-8 overall and 17-3 in conference play and are winners of nine-straight ball games.

With six regular-season games left, the Lady Eagles boast a team batting average of .325 with an on-base percentage of .407 and a slugging percentage of .459.

The pitching staff holds an ERA of 1.74 and 1.53 through 20 conference games. Ball leads the team with 12 wins in 15 starts. She holds a team-best ERA of 1.21 in a team-high 92.1 innings pitched. 

Ball also leads the team in strikeouts with 108 so far this season and has allowed the fewest earned runs on the pitching staff with 16.

Game 1

CMU 9

Peru State 0 

Central made a statement in the first game against the Bobcats, winning the opener in five innings. Central opened the game with a five-run first inning before plating a run in the second and three more in the fifth.

Altogether, CMU scored nine runs on 12 hits, including six for extra bases. 

Kelena Oots, Madison White, and Kaysie Jolley each picked up three hits, including a three-run home run from White in the first and RBI doubles for Jolley.

Madison Roberts sealed the 9-0 victory with a two-RBI single to right field in the fifth.

Ball was in complete control from the pitching circle, with nine strikeouts in five complete innings for her third no-hitter. 

Game 2

CMU 6

Peru State 1

CMU finished off Peru State with six runs on 12 hits, including home runs from Joely Crider and Katelyn Kiser. 

Kiser had the best day at the plate in game two, batting 3-for-4 with a three-run homer to center field in the fifth.

Kaylee Parker picked up a two-RBI single to left field in the seventh to seal the five-run win for the Eagles.

Haile Farris tossed a complete game, giving up just one earned run on three hits and four walks. She also struck out seven batters.

Game 1

CMU 8

Park 0

Central’s offense continued to roll into Sunday in Parkville. The Lady Eagles plated four runs in the first inning and three in the third against the Pirates. 

Ball had another masterful showing inside the circle, tossing a complete game shutout with four strikeouts for her 12th win of 2023.

At the plate, sophomore Lauren Hill recorded a three-run home run to left field in the third inning, paired with an RBI single in the first. 

Roberts batted 3-for-4, including a two-run RBI triple to right-center in the first inning. Elizabeth Palumbo jump-started the game with an RBI triple down the left field line to score Oots.

Game 2

CMU 9

Park 3

After two scoreless innings of play in the final game of the weekend, the Central bats found their groove in the third and fourth innings. 

Palumbo doubled to left field to score Crider in the third inning to start the offensive push. The Eagles followed with a six-run fourth on five hits. Central added two more runs in the seventh to put the game out of reach of the Pirates. 

Haley Cotter improved her record inside the circle to 4-0. She allowed just one earned run on nine hits and a walk and struck out five batters.

From the dish, Crider batted 3-for-4 with two RBI and a double. Palumbo drove in three runners on an RBI single and RBI double to continue her impressive weekend at the plate.

Central was scheduled to continue its road trip with a doubleheader against the Mount Mercy Mustangs in Cedar Rapids, Iowa after the Advertiser went to press on Tuesday. On Friday, the Lady Eagles conclude their eight-game road trip with a doubleheader at Culver-Stockton College. They return home for their final home series of the regular season Saturday against Benedictine College. The first pitch is at 1 p.m.