DUBUQUE, Iowa—On a windy afternoon in Dubuque, The Wartburg Knights softball squad split the American Rivers Conference (A-R-C) series with the No. 23 Loras College Duhawks.
The Knights (19-9, 6-4, A-R-C) battle to a 3-2 loss in game one before defeating the Duhawks (17-5, 4-4 A-R-C) 9-8 in the second game.
Game Two Recap
Kaylie Springer (2-of-4) singled in the first before scoring on a wild pitch for the first run of the game. Hitting her first homer of the game,
Ella Link hit a 3 RBI homer as the Knights took a 4-0 lead in the first. The Knights recorded a hit from
Lauren Frerichs and a stolen base to end the inning.
Link scored her second run of the game as
Hannah Happ (1-of-4) singled in the third.
Tarah Wehde put the Knights up by 6 scoring late in the third inning. Link hit her second home run of the game in the fourth, bringing home
Sydney Illg and doubling the Knights lead.
The Duhawks had a big third inning, scoring four runs off five hits. The Duhawks scored one run off one hit in the fifth.
Springer scored the final run of the game for the Knights off Illg's ground out to shortstop.
A late three-run home run by the Duhawks brought the game within one at 9-8 in the seventh. The Knights struck out the final two batters of the game for the win.
Madison Hiestand and
Carly Salutric pitched three innings for the Knights. Hiestand (3-2) allowed four hits, two runs, and struck out three batters.
Game One Recap
Springer and Frerichs recorded the first two hits of the opening game in the series as the Knights were held to four hits in the opening four innings.
The Duhawks took a 2-0 lead in the first inning on a two-run homer. The Duhawks pushed their third run across home plate in the fifth, taking a 3-0 lead over the Knights.
Wehde hit a home run in the sixth for the Knights first run of the game. Illg doubled in the top of the seventh before scoring on
Olivia Brecht's double for an RBI. Frerichs recorded a single bunt before stealing second as the Knights left two on base. Wehde walked to load the bases as
Sydney Fellows popped out to third for the final out of the game.
Ashley Nelson (6-3) and Hiestand recorded eight strikeouts combined after facing 29 batters from the Duhawks.
Moving in the Record Book
With her 26 runs scored this season, Illg has moved to No. 4 in the record book for career runs. Illg needs 14 runs to pass Ashley Rogers (143 runs).
Illg, who has recorded two triples this season, is three away from cracking the Top-10 in the career record. Illg leads the record book for most hit-by-pitch has added to her record (35) as Frerichs is tied for fifth with eleven HBP.
Schedule Update
The Knights will play Bethel University (MN) on April 28th in St. Paul, Minnesota. The Knights are slated for first pitch at 3 p.m.
Next Time Out
The Knights continue action on the road, competing at Central College on April 15. First pitch is set for 2 p.m. in Pella, Iowa.
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