DWU, Dordt split softball doubleheader
MITCHELL, S.D. – The Dakota Wesleyan University softball team picked up a much needed split against Dordt College in a Great Plains Athletic Conference doubleheader Tuesday in Sioux Center, Iowa, snapping a five-game conference losing streak to keep the Tigers’ postseason hopes alive.
Game 1
Game 1
| Final | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | R | H | E |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Dakota Wesleyan | 0 | 0 | 3 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 6 | 0 | 0 |
| Dordt | 5 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 7 | 0 | 0 |
Game 2
Game 2
| Final | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | R | H | E |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Dakota Wesleyan | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 1 | 6 | 11 | 0 | 0 |
| Dordt | 0 | 3 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 3 | 9 | 0 | 0 |
MITCHELL, S.D. – The Dakota Wesleyan University softball team picked up a much needed split against Dordt College in a Great Plains Athletic Conference doubleheader Tuesday in Sioux Center, Iowa, snapping a five-game conference losing streak to keep the Tigers' postseason hopes alive.
DWU rallied in game one, scoring six times in the seventh to win 11-9. Dordt answered back with a hard fought 7-6 win in the finale. With the split, DWU is now 9-31 overall and 4-12 in the GPAC with two doubleheaders remaining in the regular season.
The Tigers fell behind 5-1 in game one before storming back, starting with three runs in the fifth inning. The DWU rally started with a two-run home run from senior Danielle Klassen (Niverville, Manitoba, Canada), while senior Natalie Gutierrez (Los Angeles, Calif.) singled home another run later in the frame.
Down 6-5 heading into the seventh, the Tigers continued to pour on the runs. Senior Devinne Facile (Sioux Falls, S.D.) started the scoring for DWU with a two-run single, while sophomore Katy Lazenby (Mitchell, S.D.) followed with a two-run double. Junior Hailey Unger (Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada) and sophomore Elise Sutherland (Stansbury, Utah) each added an RBI to give DWU some breathing room.
The Defenders scored three times in the bottom of the seventh inning, but DWU starting pitcher Lorissa Loeppky was able to get the final out and preserve the win for the Tigers. The win was the ninth of the season for Loeppky.
In game two, the Tigers again found themselves in an early hole, as Dordt scored five runs in the first inning. DWU responded with three runs, aided by two Dordt errors, in the third. Unger singled home two runs in the inning, while Gutierrez added an RBI single.
The Defenders established a 7-4 lead heading into the sixth. DWU continued to chip away with a two-run double from Unger, but the Tigers would not get closer. Loeppky pitched her second complete game of the day in the loss and is now 9-18 on the season.
The Tigers continue the final stretch of the GPAC schedule with a doubleheader against Midland University at 4 p.m. Thursday at McWhirter Field in Mitchell, S.D.
