HESSTON, Kan. – The Hesston College softball team earned their first NAIA win in their season opening split against Sterling College on Tuesday (Feb. 10). The Larks took Game 1 via run-rule 13-5 in five innings before falling 9-4 in Game 2. The Larks will head to Bartlesville, Okla. to take on Oklahoma Wesleyan University on Sunday (Feb. 15).
Hesston College 13, Sterling College 5
The Hesston College softball team opened its 2026 season with a convincing 13-5 victory over visiting Sterling College Tuesday afternoon at Bess Mullet Field. The Larks struck early and often, generating timely hits and capitalizing on Sterling miscues in a strong all-around performance.
Hesston wasted no time establishing momentum. In the bottom of the first inning, Ciara Mendez delivered an RBI fielder’s choice to bring home the first run of the season, followed by a run-scoring single from Chloe Merjil to make it 2-0. Sterling responded in the second with a run on an error, but the Larks answered right back with two runs of their own, including a bunt RBI from Mia Manzo, extending the lead to 4-1.
The third inning proved decisive. Hesston erupted for eight runs, highlighted by a three-run home run to left-center by Alexis Newlin. Merjil added a double during the rally, while Abigail Cox also drove a ball into the gap for extra bases as the Larks kept constant pressure on the Sterling defense. Aggressive baserunning and productive at-bats throughout the lineup helped Hesston build a commanding 12-2 advantage by the end of the frame.
Sterling battled back with single runs in the fourth and fifth innings, including an RBI double from Mya Dunn, but Hesston maintained control throughout. In the bottom of the fifth, Mendez capped the scoring with an RBI single that plated Skye Gomez to secure the 13-5 final.
The Larks finished with 13 runs on 11 hits, with Merjil leading the way with three hits and two RBIs. Newlin’s three-run homer highlighted her multi-RBI day, and Hesston’s balanced offensive attack saw contributions up and down the lineup. Defensively, the Larks limited Sterling to four hits while taking advantage of three Warrior errors.
Arlynn Smith earned the win in relief for Hesston, working three innings to close out the victory.
Hesston College 4, Sterling College 9
In the second game, the Larks fell 9-4 in a contest that saw strong offensive spurts from both sides but ultimately belonged to the Warriors.
Sterling struck first in the top of the first inning when Maria Casillas lined a double into left field that scored Cheyenne Cunningham to make it 1-0. Hesston responded immediately in its half of the first, as Alexis Newlin delivered a two-run double that brought home Skye Gomez and later scored on a Chloe Merjil RBI single, giving the Larks a 2-1 edge. Sterling countered in the second with two runs, including an RBI double from Ashley Johnson and a groundout that brought home another run, taking a 3-2 lead they would not surrender.
The Warriors added insurance in the third inning, plating two more runs as Cunningham and Mallory Seidel each crossed the plate to extend the advantage to 5-2. After a scoreless fourth, Sterling’s offense broke through again in the fifth with a Cunningham RBI double followed by a two-run triple from Alie Ambriz, pushing the lead to 8-2. Hesston answered with a pair of runs in the bottom of the fifth, sparked by a sacrifice fly from Skye Gomez that scored Gabriella Pantoja and an RBI fielder’s choice from Newlin that brought home Manzo, trimming the deficit to 8-4.
Sterling added one final run in the seventh when Casillas doubled in Cunningham to seal the 9-4 result.
Offensively for Hesston, Pantoja finished with two hits and two runs scored, while Gomez, Newlin and Merjil each tallied hits and RBIs. Sterling totaled nine runs on nine hits, highlighted by multi-hit efforts from Cunningha and Casillas and timely extra-base hits from Johnson and Ambriz.
Casillas earned the win in the circle for Sterling, working five innings and allowing four runs while striking out five. Moriah Ortiz was charged with the loss for the Larks.
