WAVERLY, Iowa - Wartburg softball downed Simpson College 9-1 on Sunday, March 28 and earned a weekend series sweep of the Storm to improve to 13-3 overall and 4-2 in American Rivers Conference play. 

Up next, the Knights will welcome St. Catherine University to Lynes Field for a midweek nonconference doubleheader matchup on Wednesday, March 31 starting at 3 p.m. 

The Knights exploded in the sixth inning and tallied five runs to invoke the eight-run rule after six innings to win the game. Freshman Ashley Nelson was awarded the victory on the mound for Wartburg and moved to 4-0 on the year. The Knights recorded 10 hits and nine RBIs, including a two-shot homerun by senior Kaci Sherwood in the third. 

The Orange & Black got things rolling in the opening inning when Sherwood singled to left field and junior Sydney Illg scored the first tally of the match. After a scoreless second, the bats for Wartburg got hot again in the third when they totaled three runs.  

Wartburg held the Storm to just four hits in the first five innings as Simpson failed to score a run. The Storm started to find a rhythm offensively in the sixth inning when they rattled off three hits and one run. Wartburg was able to get out of the jam to finish out the sixth as the Storm left two runners on base.

The Knights then went on the attack in the bottom of the inning when they totaled five runs on three hits and three errors. Senior Leah Campos ended the contest when she singled down the third base line and junior Olivia Brecht scored the game-ending run. 

Campos, Lauren Frerichs, Sherwood and Brecht all recorded a team-high two hits while Sherwood paced the Knights with a game-high four RBIs. Freshman pitcher Nelson threw four innings and allowed four hits and zero runs.