The Defender softball team topped Midland in the opening round of the GPAC tournament, then fell to Jamestown in the next contest Thursday afternoon, and advance to the elimination bracket.
The Dordt Defender softball team scored an upset win over Midland.
Dordt entered as the number eight seed and came from behind twice to get the 4-3 win over the number one seed and GPAC regular season co-champion.
Midland got two runs in the bottom of the second inning on three hits. Dordt answered with a two run fourth inning as Brooklyn Van Oort delivered a two run single to centerfield to get Marissa Vanden Berg and Jennifer Kooiker in. Both runs were unearned as Hailey Heeringa reached on an error and Van Oort’s single came with two outs. Kooiker was running for Heeringa.
Midland retook the lead in the fourth inning with an unearned run for a 3-2 advantage.
Dordt sidestepped trouble in the fifth when Midland got two runners on base but a flyout to left and a popout to the shortstop ended the threat.
Heeringa then tied it with one out in the sixth inning with a homerun to centerfield and Carley De Roin followed with a ground rule double. Jessica Oules advanced De Roin to third with a single and Van Oort pushed a grounder to the right side of the infield that scored the go ahead run.
Midland again threatened in the sixth but a strikeout and popout left runners on first and second and the Warriors were retired in order in the seventh.
In game 2, the Dordt Defenders lost a 5-4 decision in the winners bracket.
Dordt rallied in the seventh but came short in the comeback attempt.
Jamestown scored four int eh fourth inning with two outs on six hits.
Dordt responded with a run in the fifth on a Jessica Oules triple and a Brooklyn Van Oort sacrifice fly to cut the lead to 4-1.
Jamestown added a run in the sixth inning for a 5-1 lead before Dordt put a seventh inning threat together. Hailey Heeringa singled and Carley De Roin followed with a single. An error allowed Erin Bredemus to reach with one out and two runs scored. Kenzie Cunard singled to knock in another run but the inning ended on a ground out with runners on first and second.
Dordt will face Midland in an elimination game on Friday at noon. The winner will advance to play Jamestown in the championship of the double-elimination bracket at 2:00.
The winner of the bracket will play in a best of three series on Saturday at the highest remaining seed.
