Tigers finish Tucson Invitational

TUCSON, Ariz. – The Dakota Wesleyan University softball team completed its annual trip at the Tucson Invitational on Thursday before their final game was rained out against Texas Wesleyan University in Tucson, Ariz.

 In DWU's matchup against Embry-Riddle University, the Tigers lost by a score of 15-1.

 ERU put up six runs in the first two innings to hold an early advantage. However, the Tigers (8-13) answered with a Chaydon Metzger (Larchwood, Iowa) RBI single in the bottom half of the second frame to get on the scoreboard.

 That was all the Tigers could score in the contest as ERU added nine more runs in the fifth inning to win the game.

 Metzger led the team as she finished 1-for-2 with an RBI and Alyssa Garcia (L.A. Verne, Calif.) went 1-for-2 with a run scored.

 In the second game of the day, the Tigers fell to Viterbo University, 10-2.

 DWU scored first in the game in the opening inning. After a passed ball, Metzger came home to score the first run of the game. Moments later, Garcia hit an RBI double to center field to push the lead to two runs.

 The V-Hawks evened the score in the bottom half of the frame with a pair of runs. They went on to score two runs in the third and fourth innings and added four more runs in the fifth to end the game.

 Garcia finished 2-for-2 at the plate with an RBI, while Stephanie Gabel (Sioux Falls, S.D.) and Metzger each went 1-for-3 with a run scored.

 In the final game of the day, the Tigers battled Indiana Institute of Technology and lost 6-0.

 Both defenses held strong through the first three innings. But it was ITT who scored first with five runs in the fifth frame. They added another run in the sixth inning and held DWU off the scoreboard to down the Tigers.

 Meghan Daffern (Tehachapi, Calif.) pitched the full game as she struck out one batter in the contest.

 On Wednesday, the Tigers took on Dordt University for a conference doubleheader. DWU lost the first game of the doubleheader, 4-1.

 The Tigers took a 1-0 lead after Mikael Smith (Brandon, S.D.) smacked an RBI single to center field. The Defenders responded with three runs in the bottom half of the frame. They tacked on an insurance run in the sixth frame to take the game.

 Smith finished 1-for-3 with an RBI, as Gabel finished with a run scored.

 In the second game of the doubleheader, the Tigers came away victorious after a thrilling 7-4 comeback victory.

 The Tigers struck first after Metzger scored on a Defender error. Dordt tied the game in the bottom half of the frame with a run. Neither team scored until the Tigers did in the fifth inning. Adriana Thomason (Las Vegas, Nev.) hit a sacrifice fly that scored Madeline Else (Holstein, Iowa), followed by a Garcia ground ball.

 The Defenders took a 4-3 lead after scoring three runs in the bottom of the sixth frame. Devany Farris (Cheyenne, Wyo.) led off the scoring in the seventh inning after she grounded into a fielder's choice, scoring Reagan Nebel (Hayti, S.D.). One batter later, Metzger nailed a double to left field, scoring another run. Gabel capped off the comeback as she smacked a two-run single to center field.

 Metzger went 3-for-4 with an RBI and two runs scored, as Gabel finished 2-for-4 with a pair of runs batted in. Alyson VanderPol (Mitchell, S.D.) pitched five innings and struck out one batter, as Farris and Daffern each struck out two batters apiece.

 In the final game of the Tucson Invitational, the Tigers lost to Aquinas College, 8-5.

 The Saints struck first with three runs in the top half of the opening inning. But Garcia put DWU on the scoreboard with an RBI double in the bottom half of the frame to pull the Tigers within two runs.

 Two innings later it was much of the same as the Saints notched three runs to push their lead to 6-1. However, Metzger nailed an RBI single to left field, followed by a Smith RBI single to add two runs for the Tigers.

 Aquinas tallied a pair of runs in the next inning to make their lead 8-3. DWU attempted another comeback as they scored two runs in the bottom of the fifth inning, but they could not complete the comeback as they lost the game.

 Smith and Gabel led the Tigers at the plate as they each finished 1-for-2 with an RBI, while Metzger went 1-for-3 with an RBI and a run scored. Daffern pitched 2.1 innings and struck out two batters in the loss.