ATCHISON, Kan. – The Northwestern College softball team (12-0, 0-0 GPAC) kicked off the month of March with two nine-inning victories over the Ravens of Benedictine College (11-4, 0-0 HAAC) to continue the best start in program history with twelve straight wins to start the season, this afternoon at the Benedictine Softball Field.
Kate Kralik (Fr., Indianola, Iowa/Indianola) picked up both wins in the circle to improve to 6-0 on the season. Between Kralik, Kameryn Etherington (So., Algona, Iowa/Algona), and Sydnee Isom (Jr., Fillmore, Calif./Fillmore) on the day, the Raiders allowed nine runs in 18.0 innings pitched, while striking out 15 Raven batters.
Game 1: NWC 2, Benedictine 1 (F/9)
The opening game was nothing short of a fast-paced pitchers duel between Etherington and Benedictine ace Jenna Drish, as the two combined to throw 14 innings and scatter nine hits. Etherington was brilliant in the circle, tossing 5.0 innings, allowing just two hits and keeping the Ravens off the board.
Neither team was able to figure out either side’s pitcher in the first seven innings, as only 12 hits were recorded between the two sides.
The scoring would begin in the eighth, with the implementation of the international tiebreaker. Madysn Grotewold (So., Larchwood, Iowa/West Lyon) moved Jennifer Boeve (Sr., Hastings, Neb./Hastings) over to third to start the top half with a sacrifice bunt. Bri Giordano (Jr., Arroyo Grande, Calif./Arroyo Grande) would bring Boeve in with a sac fly to right field, marking the first run of the game.
Up 1-0, it would be Benedictine that would respond with a run in the bottom half of the eighth to send it to the ninth. What could’ve been a disastrous inning for the Raiders, a single up the middle scored the game-tying run to make it 1-1. Another single would but Ravens at second and third with no one out. Kralik would comoe up clutch for Northwestern, striking out two hitters, allowing one base on balls, setting up a bases loaded and two outs situation. Kralik gets the final out of the inning with a weak pop-up to third base to keep the game tied.
Chloe Gallegos (Fr., Carroll, Iowa/Carroll) would smack a ball into the right center gap to start the ninth, giving the Raiders a 2-1 lead and all the momentum. Though unable to push across an insurance run, it wouldn’t matter as Kralik would shut the door, sending the Ravens down in order to secure the 2-1 victory.
Not one Raider struck out in the first game of the day, as the Raiders notched seven hits. Gallegos had three of the seven Raider hits in the first game, with her and Boeve picking up an RBI each. Kralik threw the final 4.0 innings in relief for Etherington, picking up the win and seven strike outs.
Game 2: NWC 13, Benedictine 8 (F/9)
As if the first game wasn’t entertaining enough, game two proved to be an offensive show, also going nine innings as Northwestern used a massive seven-run ninth inning to secure the 13-8 victory and the sweep over Benedictine. The game saw each side combine for eight doubles and four home runs, for a combined 26 hits.
Northwestern put up the first four runs of Game 2, highlighted by a three-run blast in the second inning.
The Ravens would begin chipping away in the bottom half of the second, putting up one run on the board to make it 4-1. Each team put up one run in both the third and the fifth innings, as the Raiders would lead 6-3 heading into the sixth.
The bottom of the sixth saw Benedictine draw within one run, as a lead off single would be brought home thanks to a Megan Medhus home run, cutting the Raider lead to 6-5 after sixth full. The Ravens would bring the tying run home in the bottom half of the seventh, after back-to-back doubles; but yet again it was Kralik who shut the door again to keep the game-winning run stranded at second.
Neither side could plate a run in the eighth, but the ninth saw the Raider bats explode. Etherington would come up huge with the bases loaded, as the Raiders already led 7-6, with a bases clearing double to push the lead to 11-6. Emily Strasser (Sr., Sioux Falls, S.D./Sioux Falls Christian) would put the nail in the coffin with a 2-run homer of her own, her first of the season; as the Raiders prevailed 13-8.
Etherington and Giordano both collected three hits in five at-bats, both notching a double and scoring a combined three runs between the two. Boeve was a solid 2-for-4 with three runs, four RBI, two walks, and her three-run home run, also her first of the season. Jordyn Kramer (Sr., Larchwood, Iowa/West Lyon) had the third double of the day for the Raiders.
Up Next: Northwestern will head down to Tucson, Ariz. over the college’s spring break to compete in 12 games at the Tucson Invitational Games (TIG) March 7 through March 14. The Raiders will open the trip on Monday, March 7 with two games against Roosevelt (Ill.) (0-0, 0-0 CCAC) and Kansas Wesleyan (2-4, 0-0 KCAC).
