FREMONT, Neb. – The Northwestern College softball team (22-6, 1-3 GPAC) traveled to Fremont, Neb. for a Great Plains Athletic Conference doubleheader and fell to the Warriors of Midland University (16-4, 4-0 GPAC).
Game one was a Kate Kralik (Fr., Indianola, Iowa) one-hit, 10 strikeout, performance but the Raider offense was only able to produce one run resulting in a 2-1 loss. Game two saw a three-run homer and a handful of errors plague the Northwestern defense as they fell 6-2.
Game 1 – NWC 1, Midland 2
Midland took an early 1-0 lead in the bottom of the first inning. Kralik struck out the first batter of the inning. An error would allow a baserunner and she advanced to second. An ensuing wild pitch would all the runner to advance to third. Kralik would earn another strikeout but another error would allow the runner on third to score, unearned.
The Raiders got their first base runner in the top of the second but were unable to score. Kralik struck out two of the three and earned a one, two, three bottom of the second.
The Raider bats continued to be quieted by Midland’s Fliam. After on opening strikeout in the third, Kralik surrendered a solo home run that gave the Warriors a 2-0 lead.
The Raiders were able to get a baserunner in scoring position in the top of the fifth but grounded out to end the inning. Kralik worked a one, two, three bottom of the fifth to keep the deficit at two.
The Raider bats earned multiple hits in the top of the sixth. Jennifer Boeve (Jr., Hastings, Neb.) doubled to right center to lead things off. After two quick out Gwen Mikkelsen (Jr., Casa Grande, Ariz.) singled, scoring Boeve and cutting the deficit in half, 2-1. Kralik continued to deal forcing the Warriors to go three up, three down in the bottom of the sixth, keeping the momentum on the Northwestern side.
With two outs in the top of the seventh Emily Strasser (Sr., Sioux Falls, S.D.) was able to reach on an error to keep the comeback hopes alive. It was not to be as a flyout would end the game with the tying run aboard.
Mikkelsen was the only Raider with multiple hits (2), Bri Giordano (Jr., Arroyo Grande, Calif.), and Boeve were the other Raiders able to get a hit on the board.
Game 2 – NWC 2, Midland 6
The Raiders were forced to play most of game two from behind due to a three-run home run from the Warriors in the bottom of the first inning. Midland started the game with a walk, the ensuing batter reached due to an error. The third batter to step in for the Warriors homered, scoring three runs.
Erika McKenney (So., Hawarden, Iowa) was hit by a pitch to reach in the top of the second with one away. Charli Bomgaars (Fr., Boyden, Iowa) pinch ran and stole second to move into scoring position. The Raiders were unable to get anything else going offensively, remining down 3-0.
The Warriors added another run in the bottom half of the inning after Nisbett singled and was pinch ran for. Brabec stole second and then advanced to third on a ground out. A wild pitch would allow her to score giving the Warriors a 4-0 lead.
The Raiders would answer with two runs of their own in the top of the third. Strasser was able to reach first on an error. Boeve worked a walk, giving the Raiders’ runners on first and second with one away.
Both runners would advance on a wild pitch, Jordyn Kramer (Sr., Larchwood, Iowa) would single to right-center, scoring Strasser (1-4). Giordano would reach on a fielder’s choice, allowing Boeve to score and pulling the Raiders within two (2-4).
The Warriors would respond with a run of their own, unearned as they scored it on an error committed by the Raiders.
Both teams went three up, three down in the fourth and fifth innings.
The Raiders were able to get two runners aboard in the top of the sixth but were unable to push any runs across, leaving the score at 5-2 heading into the bottom of the sixth in favor of Midland.
Midland tacked on one more run in the bottom half of the inning. A passed ball on a swinging strikeout allowed an unearned run to cross giving the Warriors a 6-2 advantage.
Again, the Raiders were able to get two runners aboard but a pair of groundouts would end the game and give Midland a 6-2 win and the sweep on the day.
Kramer was able to notch a multi-hit game with two, also earning one RBI. Bomgaars and Strasser were the other two Raiders able to tally hits. Kameryn Etherington (So., Algona, Iowa) carried most of the pitching load in game two, only giving up one hit and no earned runs. Three uncharacteristic errors by the Raiders would allow the Warriors opportunities to score.
Up Next: The Raiders will host the Dakota Wesleyan Tigers in their home opener on March 29 with the doubleheader beginning at 3:00 p.m. at the softball diamond in Orange City, Iowa.
