Kayla Tindall and Emma Schnell pitched consecutive shutouts in leading the Red Raiders to a 2-0 record on the first day of postseason play in the GPAC Softball Championship-Morningside Bracket. The Red Raiders earned a 3-0 win over Doane in the first game and then knocked off 23rd-ranked Morningside 5-0 in the nightcap.
The wins propel the Red Raiders, now 32-9 on the season, into the Morningside Bracket championship game(s) on Saturday at 2pm.
Tindall limited the top-scoring offense in the GPAC to just four hits, three singles and one double, and did not allow a Tigers’ baserunner past second base in earning her third shutout of the season. The senior walked one and struck out four while improving to 15-5 on the year.
Offensively, head coach Chris Nachtigall’s squad mustered just two hits but took advantage of a couple Tigers’ errors to plate all three runs in the third inning. Cheyenne Wilcke led off with a single and advance to third after a Doane error on a bunt by Emma Schnell. Wilcke scored two batters latter on a bunt by Madison Beaver, who advanced to second on a great hustle play when no covered the base. The Red Raiders scored the final two runs after another Doane error on a ball hit by Jessica Sandbulte, plaing both Beaver and pinch runner Renee Choquette.
Emily Bosch registered the other hit for the Red Raiders against Josie Schnakenberg (13-8), who picked up the hard-luck loss despite giving up two hits and striking out nine.
Red Raider bats came alive early in game two, scoring four runs in the top of the first inning, in their 5-0 win against Morningside. Amanda Everhart and Sandbulte both hit one-out singles and Tindall belted her eighth home run of the season, a three-run shot over the centerfield fence, for a 3-0 lead. Bosch then walked and came around to score on a double by Jensen Boger.
Northwestern added an insurance run in the sixth inning when Boger was hit by a pitch, advanced to second after a walk to Wilcke and came around to score on an RBI single by Schnell.
Schnell made sure the five runs was enough, giving up seven hits, six singles and one double, in earning her fourth shutout of the season. Schnell walked two and struck out five while improving to 16-3. This was the second win over Morningside for the freshman, who held the Mustangs to just one run in a game two win on March 22.
Sandbulte led the Red Raiders at the plate, going 2-for-4 with a run scored. Six different Red Raiders had one hit, led by Tindall with the three-run home run.
Hallie Misiaszek (22-6) picked up the loss, giving up five hits and four runs in four innings. Andrea Medinger gave up three hits and one run over the final three innings. Tracey Edwards totaled three hits for the Mustangs and Lexi Stolen went 2-for-3.
Northwestern will play at 2pm against either Doane, Concordia or Morningside on Saturday, May 5.
