DUBUQUE, Iowa --- Softball took two games on the road from Dubuque on Saturday, Apr. 25 as the Knights won game one 9-2 before winning game two 10-3. The Knights have now won nine-straight games.
 
Wartburg moves to 11-1 in American Rivers Conference (A-R-C) play and 26-8 overall after the doubleheader sweep. The Knights are now two wins from clinching a share of the regular season conference title.
 
Bella Mulder tallied a home run in each contest to move her season total to seven as the Knights recorded 22 total hits as a team in today's doubleheader.
 
Game Summary

• Game One
  • Third Inning
    • Hannah Hoefer and the Wartburg defense retired the first six Spartan batters of the game
    • UD was first on scoreboard after a triple and double in back-to-back at bats to make the score 1-0 headed to the fourth inning
  • Fifth Inning
    • Wartburg broke the game open in the fifth inning with six runs, highlighted by a three-run blast to left field from Bella Mulder
      • Liz Kruckenberg led off the inning with a walk and made her way to third after a sacrifice bunt from Ally Happ
      • Carley Bredar's third hit of the game brought home Kruckenberg and then Bredar scored herself after Regan Hassel reached base on an error
      • Leading 2-1, Addy Wells and Jenna Wiebenga each singled to score Hassel and give the Knights a two-run lead
      • Mulder stepped up to the plate and delivered a three-run home run down the left field line to make the score 6-1 headed to bottom half of the fifth
    • The Spartans used two doubles to bring one across to cut Wartburg's lead to 6-2 with two innings left to play
  • Sixth Inning
    • Kruckenberg led off the inning with another single and was brought home by an RBI single from Wells to push the score to 7-2
    • Wiebenga singled down the third base line to score both Wells and Bredar that put Wartburg in front 9-2
  • Seventh Inning
    • Lauren Dyer finished 2.2 innings of scoreless work inside the circle with a one-two-three bottom of the seventh to secure a 9-2 win
• Game Two
  • First Inning
    • The Knights jumped on Dubuque early after Bredar led off the game with a single and then stole second to set up an RBI double for Katelyn Klever that put Wartburg in front 1-0 after one inning
  • Second Inning
    • After reaching base on an error, Hassel stole both second and third base before advancing home on an error by the catcher to make the score 2-0
  • Fourth Inning
    • Mulder began the fourth inning with a solo-shot to left field that pushed the Wartburg lead to three
      • Mulder's second home run of the doubleheader
    • After three hitless innings for the Spartans, UD was able to bring three runs across from four total hits to tie the game up at 3-3 headed to the fifth inning
  • Sixth Inning
    • After a quiet fifth inning on both sides, Wartburg's bats produced another huge inning as the Knights used five hits to score six runs to take a 9-3 lead
      • Klever walked to begin the inning and then Kaylee Mescher took her place on the bases, where she was brought home by an RBI single from Stepanie Kiefer
      • Kruckenberg singled to load the bases for Hassel, who singled to left field to score both Amanda Strzyzewski and Happ
      • A bunt single from Larson allowed two more runners to come home as the Knights now led 8-3
      • A Wells double to left field scored Larson and put the Knights in front 9-3
  • Seventh Inning
    • The Knights added another insurance run after Wiebenga, Mulder, and Strzyzewski all reached base to load the bases for Kruckenberg, who knocked in a run with a fielders choice
    • Dyer closed the game in the circle in the sixth and seventh innings with no hits and no runs allowed to secure a 10-3 victory for the Knights

 
Top Performers

• Game One
  • Bella Mulder
    • 2/4 at the plate
    • Three RBI
    • HR
  • Jenna Wiebenga
    • 2/3 at the plate
    • Three RBI
    • Walk
  • Hannah Hoefer
    • 4.1 IP
    • Win
    • Two runs allowed
    • Four strikeouts
  • Carley Bredar
    • 3/3 at the plate
    • Two runs scored
    • RBI
    • Two stolen bases
    • Walk
• Game Two
  • Reagan Hassel
    • 1/4 at the plate
    • Two RBI
    • Two stolen bases
    • Two runs scored
  • Alexis Larson
    • 1/2 at the plate
    • Two RBI
    • One run scored
    • Walk
  • Katelyn Klever
    • 5.0 IP
    • Win
    • Three strikeouts
    • 1/3 at the plate
    • RBI
    • Double
  • Bella Mulder
    • 2/3 at the plate
    • HR
    • RBI
    • Walk

 
Notes/Streaks

• Eighth and ninth straight wins for the Knights
• Wartburg is now 67-21 all-time against Dubuque
• Team leading seventh home run and 40^th RBI for Mulder this season
  • Ninth career home run and 64^th career RBI
• Hoefer is now 10-3 and Klever is now 9-3 in pitching decisions this season
• 15^th and 16^th games with 10+ hits this season
• Dyer finished the day with 4.2 IP and zero runs allowed out of the Bullpen
• Bredar now has 16 multi-hit games this season (leads team)
• Wartburg is 149/160 in stolen base attempts this season
  • 13 away from tying the program record
  • Hassel (26), Bredar (26) and Happ (24) lead the team in stolen bases

 
Next Time Out
The Knights will be in action next on Wednesday, Apr. 29 at home against Luther College beginning at 3 p.m.