Softball season concludes for Tigers

OMAHA, Neb. – The 2019 season came to a close for the Dakota Wesleyan University softball team as they battled College of Saint Mary for a Great Plains Athletic Conference doubleheader. DWU dropped the first game 5-2, and fell in the second game 7-5 on Saturday in Omaha, Neb.

 It was slow out of the gates for both teams in the opening game. The Flames (17-27, 10-12 GPAC) kicked off the scoring with a three-run fourth frame, followed by a two-run fifth inning to take a 5-0 lead.

 But, the Tigers (12-30, 7-15 GPAC) fought to get back into the game in the sixth inning. Adriana Thomason (Las Vegas, Nev.) singled to the shortstop, bringing Andriana Sprakel (Yankton, S.D.) home for the score. Two batters later, Alyson VanderPol (Mitchell, S.D.) singled to center field, allowing for Thomason to score. However, it was not enough as the Flames put DWU away in the seventh inning.

 Thomason went 1-for-3 with an RBI and a run scored, as VanderPol finished 2-for-4 with a run batted in. Karly Severance went 2-for-3 at the plate, while Sprakel finished 4-for-4 with a run scored. Senior pitcher Sierra Haage (Sioux Falls, S.D.) pitched six innings, struck out two batters and allowed seven hits.

 In the second game, CSM jumped out to a 2-0 lead after the first inning. But, Andrea Konz (Mitchell, S.D.) cut the deficit in half with an RBI single to score Severance. After the Flames extended their lead back to a pair of runs, DWU responded in the third inning. Reagan Nebel (Hayti, S.D.) nailed a two-run single through the left side, tying the game, 3-3.

 CSM used an RBI double and an RBI single in the fourth inning to take a 5-3 lead. Two innings later, they posted two more runs to make it a 7-3 game. Just like the first game, DWU fought until the end as Nebel connected on a two-run single to make it 7-5. However, that is where the score held as the Tigers fell in the second game.

 Nebel led the way as she went 3-for-3 with four RBIs, while Konz finished 1-for-3 with a run batted in. Amber Budmark (Sacramento, Calif.) went 1-for-2 with two runs scored, as Alexis Konda (Sioux Falls, S.D.) added a pair of runs scored. VanderPol was tabbed with the loss as she pitched four and two-third innings and struck out six batters.

 The Tigers finish the season with a 12-30 record overall and will graduate seven seniors in the offseason.