COLUMBIA, Mo. – Following multiple weekends of play in Texas, the Lady Bluejays made a change in their schedule, traveling east to Stephens College for a Saturday afternoon double-header.

Stephens College, located in Columbia, Mo., is a member of the American Midwest Conference (AMC). The Stars concluded last season with an overall record of 16-30, having been eliminated in the second round of their conference tournament. This season, Stephens opened with a double-header loss to Lincoln University of Missouri earlier this week.

GAME ONE: W, 21-6
Tabor's offense exploded in the top of the first inning, scoring eight total runs. Key plays included a three-run homer by Cheyenne Washington and a two-run homer by Payten Staley. Tabor capitalized on a triple from Reese Hefley and extended their early lead to 8-0. The Stars were unable to respond in the bottom of the first, managing only two ground outs and a pop fly to right field. 

Stephens took a couple of opportunities in the second and third innings, scoring a combined six runs while Tabor only added one to their total. However, the fifth inning sealed the fate for Stephens as the Bluejay offense scored eleven more runs, highlighted by a series of walks, wild pitches, and key singles. 

A number of Bluejays were walked, while Hefley singled for 2 RBIs and Staley added an RBI single. Reyna Enriquez and Kailey Cross both drove in runs as well, and the inning concluded with a score of 21-6. Marisa Carranza and Annabelle Buchanan each pitched just over two innings, with Carranza securing the win. 

GAME TWO: W, 15-2
Through the first four innings, Tabor dominated offensively, steadily building their lead. In the first inning, Darcy Gillen, Washington, and Lainee Rae Miller each drove in runs, giving Tabor an early 3-0 advantage. Stephens responded with a single run on a fielder's choice, making it 3-1.

Tabor extended their lead in the third inning, scoring five runs. Mikayla Guarascio was hit by a pitch with the bases loaded, forcing in a run, followed by an RBI fielder's choice by Mylee Milne. The highlight of the inning was a three-run homer by Washington, pushing the score to 8-1.

In the fourth, Tabor added three more runs. Milne was hit by a pitch with the bases loaded to bring in a run, and Gillen followed with a two-run double, extending the lead to 11-1.

The last inning included Miller hitting an RBI double, bringing in Dessa Zavala. Megan Buerger then reached first on an error by the third baseman, allowing Miller to score. Another error, this time by the second baseman, allowed Khily Brower to score an unearned run. The inning concluded with Harley McLaughlin hitting a sacrifice fly, bringing in Buerger and pushing Tabor's lead to 15-1. Stephens scored a lone run in the bottom of the fifth to finalize the game, 15-2. 

Leilani Rios pitched all five innings for Tabor, facing 20 batters and striking out three, while only walking one. The Bluejays had 27 hits on the day while Stephens only managed 15. Miller, Staley, and Hefley led the Bluejays in hits on the day, combining for 10. 


Tabor's bats came alive early in both games, with multiple key hits contributing to their commanding leads. Despite brief moments of offensive response from Stephens, Tabor's relentless scoring and solid pitching secured both wins in dominant fashion. 

Next weekend, Tabor will make the trip to Branson, Mo. to take part in the Branson Grand Slam Classic, where they will face five different teams throughout the week. Those teams include Mount Marty University on Thursday, Mission University and Graceland University on Friday, and Williams Baptist University and Culver-Stockton College to wrap up on Saturday.

Be sure to stay up to date with all information regarding Bluejay Athletics by following us on X at @gotaborbluejays, on Instagram and Facebook @taborbluejays, and on our official athletic website, taborbluejays.com.

Tabor College is a Christ-centered institution located in Hillsboro, Kansas. The Bluejays are members of the National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics (NAIA) and compete in the Kansas Collegiate Athletic Conference (KCAC).