TUCSON, Ariz. – The Northwestern College softball team dropped a game to the William Penn University Statesmen, 4-5, in extra innings; and defeated the Buena Vista University Beavers, 6-1, to improve to 16-2 on the season.
Game 1
William Penn struck first with a sacrifice fly in the bottom of the first to go ahead 1-0. The Statesmen tacked on another run in the top of the second. The Raiders were unable to get their offense going with only one hit in the first two innings. The third inning saw the score hold at 2-0 in favor of the Statesmen.
In the bottom of the fourth a Bri Giordano (Jr., Arroyo Grande, Calif.) single followed by a Gwen Mikkelson (Jr., Casa Grande, Ariz.) single set up the Raider offense. A sacrifice fly by Kameryn Etherington (So., Algona, Iowa) scored Giordano and pulled Northwestern within one (2-1).
A one, two, three top of the fifth by Kate Kralik Fr., Indianola, Iowa) would get the Raider offense back in the box. Charli Bomgaars (Fr., Boyden, Iowa) walked and then stole second, putting her in scoring position. Jennifer Boeve (Jr., Hastings, Neb.) singled and scored Bomgaars, tying the game at two. An Erika McKenney (So., Hawarden, Iowa) single would advance Boeve to third and she would advance on the throw to second. A Giordano single would push across two runs and give the Raiders a 4-2 lead.
Neither team scored in the sixth. A solo home run by William Penn pulled the Statesmen within one (3-2). A single would put the tying run on base for the Statesmen. With two outs another batter would reach by way of a walk. An error would allow the tying run to score. Northwestern wasn’t able to answer and extra innings were needed to settle this one.
The international rule is instituted in extra innings. A sacrifice would move the runner to third. That was followed by a single giving the Statesmen a one run lead. The Raiders were unable to get a run across and dropped the contest 4-5.
Game 2
The Raiders responded in game two with a convincing 6-1 victory. The Raider bats were hot early, scoring five of the six runs in the first inning.
Boeve reached on a hit by pitch and advanced to second on a passed ball. Madyson Grotewold (So., Larchwood, Iowa) singled and Giordano also was hit by a pitch to load the bases. Mikkelson worked a walk and scored Boeve for a 1-0 lead. An Etherington fly out would score Grotewold (2-0). After working a walk Jordyn Kramer (Sr., Larchwood, Iowa) would come around to score, Mikkelson would as well to give the Raiders a 4-0 lead. Emily Strasser (Sr., Sioux Falls, S.D.) would double, scoring Chloe Gallegos (Fr., Carroll, Iowa) and giving Northwestern a 5-0 lead after one inning.
Neither team would score until the sixth inning when Buena Vista would score one run (5-1). The seventh inning would see the Raiders tack on one more run via a Mikkelson fly out that would score Grotewold, securing the 6-1 win.
Up Next: The Raiders will be back in action tomorrow, March 11, with two more games. The first game is a rematch against No. 19-Olivet Nazarene at 3:30 p.m. and game two will be against St. Francis at 5:45 p.m.
