COLUMBIA, Mo. – The Stephens College softball team bounced back from a tough loss in game one to claim a dominant 9-1 victory in five innings during game 2 against Westminster College on Sunday at American Legion Park. The doubleheader was a rescheduled matchup from earlier in the season.

In the opener, the Stars (3-7) jumped to a 3-0 lead in the first, sparked by Elise Kendrick's two-run home run to left-center and an RBI single from Katie Dennis. However, Westminster responded with a five-run third inning and continued to pile on, scoring 11 combined runs in the sixth and seventh to take a 16-6 win. 

Kendrick (1-4) took the loss in the circle, while Ivy Smart and Celeste Athon each added an RBI in the effort.

Stephens quickly turned the page in game two, securing a 9-1 win behind a six-run fifth inning to enforce the run rule. The Stars struck early as Katie Dennis delivered a two-run single in the first. Kendrick added another RBI in the second, giving Stephens a 3-1 lead.

In the fifth, the Stars broke the game open. Dennis plated another run with a sacrifice fly, Vincent drove in two more with a single, and Athon delivered the knockout punch—a towering two-run home run to left field to end the game.

Dennis (1-3) was sharp in the circle, allowing just two hits and no earned runs over five innings while striking out three.

The Stars will look to build on the momentum from game two as they travel to Marshall, Mo., on Saturday, March 15, to take on Missouri Valley. The first pitch is scheduled for 1 p.m.