USTIN, Minn. – The Northwestern College softball team (10-0, 0-0) picked up two more wins today, February 19, to remain perfect on the season. The first against Clarke University (3-1, 0-0 HAAC) 6-5, and the second against Viterbo (Wis.) (0-4, 0-0 NSAA) 8-1.
Game 1: Northwestern 6, Clarke 5
The Pride struck first with a first-inning run but Kate Kralik (Fr., Indianola, Iowa/Indianola) ended the inning with back-to-back strikeouts to keep the score 1-0. However, Northwestern would respond with five unanswered runs of their own.
Jordyn Kramer (Sr., Larchwood, Iowa/West Lyon) and Emily Strasser (Sr., Sioux Falls, S.D./Sioux Falls Christian) would reach base in the second inning setting up Jennifer Boeve (Jr, Hastings, Neb./Hastings Senior) who would hit a two RBI single to give Northwestern a lead they would never give back.
The Raiders would plate another run thanks to a Bri Giordano (Jr., Arroyo Grande, Calif./Arroyo Grande) single. Giordano would then moved to second on misplayed throw back to the pitcher, and then eventually onto third on a passed ball. A misplayed squeeze attempt by the Pride infield would allow Giordano to score, extending the Raider lead to 3-1.
After a few scoreless innings the Raiders would tack on two more runs. Erika McKenney (So., Hawarden, Iowa/West Sioux) singled, followed by a Madysn Grotewold (So., Larchwood, Iowa/West Lyon) home run that extended the Northwestern lead to 5-1. Clarke would answer in the bottom of the sixth inning with two runs of their own to cut the deficit to two, 5-3.
Gwen Mikkelson (Jr., Casa Grande, Ariz./Mission Heights Prep) would single in the top of the seventh and score on a Strasser double, giving the Raiders what proved to be a much-needed insurance run, making it 6-3 Northwestern. Clarke would answer with two runs again in the bottom of the seventh, but it was not quite enough to come back as Northwestern prevailed in the battle of the unbeatens with a 6-5 victory.
Game 2: Northwestern 8, Viterbo 1
The final game of the weekend saw Northwestern matchup with Viterbo for the third time in two days. The Raiders jumped out in the first inning with three runs to take a 3-0 lead. Boeve singled and came around to score. Kameryn Etherington (So., Algona, Iowa/Algona) singled and scored Giordano for the second run. Finally, Strasser singled and later scored on a McKenney double.
Etherington was dominate in the circle striking out two in the second inning. The bats picked up where they left off with a Gallegos double and she came around to score extending the lead to 4-0 for the Raiders.
Viterbo answered with a solo home run in the top of the third, proving to be their only run and one fo their six hits of the contest.
A three-up, three-down top of the fourth set up the Northwestern offense again. Chloe Gallegos (Fr., Carroll, Iowa/Carroll) would hit her second home run of the season, pushing the Raider lead up to 5-1.
Syndee Isom (Jr., Fillmore, Calif./Fillmore) would single and Grotewold would come in to pinch run in the fifth to add more damage to the scoreboard. A Giordano double would then score Grotewold and give Northwestern a 6-1 lead.
The Raiders would tack on two more runs in the sixth, making it 8-1, and wrapped up another four-win weekend. Northwestern improves to 6-0 inside the Packer Dome on the season.
Up Next: The Raiders will travel to face their fifth National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) Division II opponent in Missouri Western State University (3-7, 0-0 MIAA) in St. Joseph, Mo. on February 25. First pitch of the single-game is set at 1:00 p.m.
