The Culver-Stockton softball team began Heart of America Athletic Conference slate with a split at William Penn University Friday afternoon in Oskaloosa, Iowa.

The Wildcats plated three runs in the seventh inning to snap a 3-3 tie and go on to defeat the Statesmen 6-3 in the opening game. In game two, the Wildcats held leads of 7-4 in the sixth inning and 8-7 in the seventh only to see Penn score twice in the bottom of the seventh to walk off with a 9-8 victory to earn the split.

In the opener, a RBI groundout by Ryley Pecina gave the Wildcats a 1-0 lead in the top of the first inning before the Statesmen scored twice in the bottom of the inning for a 2-1 lead.

C-SC took a 3-2 lead in the third inning on run-scoring singles by Aleki Ulu and Cierra Bush; however, Penn tied the game in the bottom of the inning and the game stayed that way until the seventh inning.

In the seventh, C-SC got a two-run double from Kataleena Hunt and a RBI triple from Sophie Meyer to help the Wildcats claim game one.

Cabria Childers earned the victory in the circle with a complete-game, scattering eight hits and allowing three runs. Childers walked one and struck out three.

The Wildcats started game two fast with a two-run double by Bush in the first inning, but the Statesmen answered with three runs in the bottom of the inning.

Penn maintained its one-run lead at 4-3 after each team plated a run in the third inning. Bush recorded her second double of the game to drive in the C-SC run in that frame.

Still trailing 4-3 in the sixth, the Wildcats exploded for four runs to take a 7-4 lead. Leila Lopez and Ulu each garnered two run singles in the inning to provide the C-SC scoring.

But the Statesmen answered with three runs in the bottom of the inning to tie the game at seven headed to the final inning.

Lopez drove in a run a d game C-SC the lead in the top of the inning when she reach on an error; however, the Statesmen rallied for two in the bottom of the inning to salvage the split.

Bush finished 3-for-4 with two doubles and three runs batted in, while Lopez was 2-for-5 with three RBI to lead the C-SC offense. Ulu finished with one hit and two runs batted in.

C-SC makes its home debut on Saturday, March 14, against Park University in a Heart of America Athletic Conference doubleheader. Game time for the first game is 1 p.m. at Himsl Field.