The Dordt University softball team opened its 2023 season with a doubleheader sweep against Peru State (Neb.) on the first day of their home classic held at the American State Bank Sports Complex. The Defenders earned an 8-0, six-inning win in game one and came back with a 7-3 victory in game two.Â
Dordt, now 2-0 this season, returns to the indoor turf on Saturday for two more games, beginning with #11 Grand View at noon.
Game One: 8-0 final (6 innings)
Standout pitcher
Abby Kraemer was one of the stars in game one as the senior hurled a complete-game, four-hit shutout to lead the Defenders to victory. Kraemer, who led the GPAC in both earned run average (ERA) and strikeouts last season, allowed just four harmless singles and struck out eight in six innings.Â
Offensively, Dordt accounted for nine hits, including a pair of doubles and a three-run home run hit by
Ella Koster. Four Defenders had multiple hits, including Koster who drove in a career-high four RBIs in going 2-3 from the plate.
Emma Groen (2/4, 2 RBIs),
Ivy Terpstra (2/3, RBI),
Aurora Tyson (2/3, run) also had multiple hits for Head Coach
Jeff Zomer's squad.Â
The Defenders sent 10 batters to the plate in a six-run, first inning as the hosts raced out to a 6-0 lead. With one out and leadoff batter
Chandler Schemper at second after a walk and stolen base, the next five Dordt batters all reached base on four hits and a walk.
Emma Groen and
Ivy Terpstra hit back-to-back RBI doubles, followed by the first career-hit, a single, by Tyson.
Cassie Van Otterloo then drew a walk, setting up Koster's three-run home run, the second of her career.
The score remained 6-0 until the bottom of the fifth when Van Otterloo hit a one-out single, advanced to second on an a Peru State error and scored off a Koster single. Dordt ended the game in the sixth on after a Groen single that scored Schemper from second.
Ellie Ohlde, Carlye Rothschild, Jami Mans and Hailey Wessel all had one hit for the Bobcats. Cheyenne Leach (0-1) gave up eight hits, seven runs and struck out one in five innings.
Game Two:Â 7-3 final
Hailey Wilken pitched six solid innings and the Defenders showcased its balanced line-up in earning a 7-3 win in game two.Â
Wilken (1-0) gave up six hits and two earned runs while striking out three in six innings.
Alexa Kopaska, in her first appearance as a Defender, pitched the seventh inning.
Seven Dordt hitters had at least one hit in game two, led by
Lauren Steenstra who went 2/3 with a run scored.
Addison Schmidt added one hit and two RBIs while Schemper, Koster, Olsen,
Brynn Torrenga and
Taylor Knaack all had one hit.
Dordt plated two runs across in the bottom of the first, courtesy of a two-run single by Schmidt that scored both Schemper and Groen. The Defenders used a two-out rally in the third to take a 3-0 lead. Steenstra hit a two-out single, advanced to second on a Peru State error and scored after triple by Torrenga. Â
Peru State scored its first run in the fourth but Dordt responded with two runs in each of the fourth and fifth innings to take a 7-1 lead. Schemper earned a one-out walk, stole second, advanced to third after a Bobcats error and scored off a double steal with Brooklyn Cox. Cox later scored on a steal as well. In the fifth inning, Knaack drove in a run with an RBI double and scored on a single from Olsen.
Lanie Dreyer (0-1) gave up eight hits and seven runs in six innings to take the loss. Kylee Weiss and Dreyer had two hits to lead the Bobcats' offense.
By the Numbers...
- Dordt outscored Peru State 15-3 in today's doubleheader
- the Defenders totaled 15 stolen bases compared to one by the Bobcats
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