Softball splits weekend doubleheaders

ABERDEEN, S.D. – The Dakota Wesleyan University softball team traveled north to battle Hastings College and Doane University in Great Plains Athletic Conference action Saturday and Sunday at the PC Dome in Aberdeen, S.D.

 The Tigers (11-25, 6-10 GPAC) found themselves down 2-0 after the third inning against the Broncos (10-18, 2-8 GPAC). In the fifth inning, DWU rallied with three runs all scored with two outs, highlighted by an Adriana Thomason (Las Vegas, Nev.) RBI-single and an Amber Budmark (Sacramento, Calif.) long two-run homerun, giving the Tigers the lead.

 In the next inning, DWU tacked on three more runs after Thomason singled to right field and scored two runs. Moments later, Andriana Sprakel (Yankton, S.D.) scored on a throw to second base. After Hastings added a run in the top of the seventh inning, The Tigers closed out the game and took game one, 6-3.

 Thomason tallied three hits and three runs batted in, while Budmark finished 1-for-3 and notched a two-run homerun.

 In the second game, DWU jumped out to a quick 2-0 lead after Budmark crushed another two-run shot. In the second inning, the Tigers got their only run off a Chaydon Metzger (Larchwood, Iowa) solo-blast to centerfield to push the lead to 3-0.

 DWU broke the game open in the third inning with four runs on five hits including RBI-singles from Karly Severance (Las Vegas, Nev.), Alyson VanderPol (Mitchell, S.D.), Sierra Haage (Sioux Falls, S.D.) and Stephanie Gabel (Sioux Falls, S.D.) to extend the lead to 7-2.

 After Reagan Nebel (Hayti, S.D.) chipped in an RBI-single in the fourth inning, DWU scored four runs in the fifth inning highlighted by a Gabel solo-homerun and Budmark's second homerun of the game. This homerun was a three-run homerun to end the game in five innings, 12-2.

 Budmark led the offensive outburst with three hits, five RBIs and two homeruns. Thomason tallied two hits and Gabel collected two hits and two runs batted in.

 Runs would be hard to come by for DWU in Sunday's doubleheader against Doane (15-17, 7-5 GPAC). In game one, Doane struck with seven runs in the first inning to put the Tigers in a hole early. Doane tacked on three more runs in the second inning to take a 10-0 lead. DWU pushed across a run in the fourth inning, but it wasn't enough as Doane took game one, 10-1 in five innings.

 Metzger finished 1-for-3 with an RBI while Sprakel, Budmark and Severance all tallied a hit.

 In game two, both teams did not find a run through the first three innings of play. Doane got on the scoreboard first in fourth inning with a run. After Doane added another run in the top of the seventh inning, DWU rallied to tie the game at 2-2 after a two-run single from Thomason to send the game into extra innings.

 Doane tallied a run in the top of the eighth inning after a sacrifice fly to regain the lead at 3-2. DWU went down in order in the bottom-half of the eighth inning to end the ballgame, 3-2.

 Thomason led the way with a hit and two runs batted in, while Sprakel finished 1-for-2 and two walks.

 The Tigers will hit the road to battle GPAC foe, Northwestern College for a doubleheader at 4 and 6 p.m. Tuesday in Orange City, Iowa.