Tigers fall to Northwestern in GPAC doubleheader

MITCHELL, S.D.– In a doubleheader that saw the Tigers record a grand slam in the first game and mount a late rally in the second game, the Dakota Wesleyan University softball team suffered a pair of defeats to Northwestern College on Tuesday at Dr. McWhirter Field in Mitchell.

 The Great Plains Athletic Conference doubleheader saw the Tigers fall 9-8 in the opening contest and lose 13-7 in the final game of the day.

 In game one, DWU opened the scoring with an RBI single to center field to take an early 1-0 lead. One batter later, Stephanie Gabel (Sioux Falls, S.D.) sent a ball flying over the right-field fence with the bases loaded to record a grand slam and give the Tigers a commanding 5-0 advantage after one inning.

 DWU held the 5-0 lead until Northwestern scored its first run of the game in the top of the third inning. The Raiders (20-8, 7-3 GPAC) tallied four more runs in the top of the fifth frame to tie the game at 5-5.

 After neither team scored in the sixth inning, Northwestern took its first lead of the game in the top of the seventh frame. They recorded a three-run double, followed by an RBI double to take a 9-5 lead.

 However, the Tigers (9-17, 1-9 GPAC) did not go down without a fight. Reagan Nebel (Hayti, S.D.) kicked off the inning with an RBI double, followed by wild pitch by the Raiders to bring another run home. Adriana Thomason (Las Vegas, Nev.) flew out to right field to bring Nebel home, but it was too late as Northwestern held on for the 9-8 victory.

 Gabel led the way at the plate as she finished 1-for-3 with four RBIs, while Nebel went 2-for-4 with a run batted in and two runs scored. Meghan Daffern (Tehachapi, Calif.) started on the mound and pitched 4.2 innings and struck out one batter.

 The second game saw the Raiders jump out to a 5-0 lead after two innings and held a 7-0 advantage after the top of the fourth frame. However, Monique Gomez (Santa Maria, Calif.) recorded an RBI single, followed by a score on a wild pitch to put the Tigers on the scoreboard in the bottom half of the fourth.

 One inning later, Haley Linke (Mitchell, S.D.) notched a two-run double to right field in the middle of the frame, followed by an error on the first baseman, allowing a run to come home. After the fifth inning, the Tigers pulled within two runs.

 The Raiders had an answer as they tallied three runs in the top of the sixth. However, the Tigers tried one final comeback as Allison McElveny (Chula Vista, Calif.) recorded an RBI triple to right field, followed by a Gabel RBI single.

 But, Northwestern tallied three more runs in the top of the seventh frame to hold off the late rally by DWU to take the second game.

 Linke finished 2-for-3 with a pair of runs batted in, as Gabel went 3-for-3 with an RBI and two runs scored. Alyssa Burke (Rapid City, S.D.) pitched 4.2 innings and struck out one batter on the mound.

 The Tigers are set to host Midland University and Concordia University for a pair of doubleheaders this weekend at Dr. McWhirter Field in Mitchell.