Box Score 1 | Box Score 2 The Dordt Defender softball team took a road sweep from Briar Cliff on Tuesday, April 25 to improve to 32-10 overall and 13-5 in the GPAC.  The Defenders were 3-0 winners in game one in eight innings and 9-1 in game two.

GAME 1

The Defenders needed eight innings to get rolling in game one as they were kept off balance for much of the game.  Dordt had a base runner in the first inning but left Ella Koster stranded.  Briar Cliff stranded two in the first and had a runner as far as third in the fourth inning to keep the game scoreless. The Chargers got runners at second and third in the sixth inning but a ground out ended the threat.

Dordt's first hit came in the seventh inning when Emma Groen doubled with two outs but a grounder ended the threat. Briar Cliff also had a runner on second with two outs in the home half of the inning but Abby Kraemer recorded a strikeout to send the game to extra innings.

Dordt finally broke through with Taylor Knaack starting the eighth with a single but the next two batters struck out. Chandler Schemper singled to put runners on the corners and Schemper stole second base  with Karli Olsen at the plate. Olsen then laced a double for a 2-0 lead and Auror Tyson singled in a third run before the inning ended.

Softball comes alive with 3 runs in the top of the 8th...2 run 2b by Karli Olsen breaks the scoreless tie! Defenders go on to win 3-0 in first game of DH. pic.twitter.com/kmqRBCuvRV

— Dordt Defender Athletics (@dordtdefenders) April 25, 2023

Two lineouts and a ground out got Dordt the doubleheader opening win.

THE NUMBERS

• Both teams had five hits.
• Karli Olsen and Emma Groen had a double each.
• Aurora Tyson, Chandler Schemper and Taylor Knaack each had singles.
• Abby Kraemer was the winning pitcher with the shutout on five hits with one walk and seven strikeouts.

GAME 2

Dordt took advantage of several unearned runs in game two to forge a 9-1 win. Dordt scored two runs on one hit in the third inning with Aurora Tyson singling in Chandler Schemper and Brooklynn Cox. Both had reached on a walk and it batsmen respectively.

The Defenders added three runs on two errors and no hits in the fourth.  Dordt had a 5-1 lead entering the seventh inning while recording just one hit in the first six innings. The visitors put the game away with four in the seventh, the last three on an Emma Groen homerun.

That's a Defender softball sweep. 9-1 final in game 2 at Briar Cliff. Emma Groen goes yard for a 3run hr and knocks in 5 runs in the win. pic.twitter.com/wPhaA4SatW

— Dordt Defender Athletics (@dordtdefenders) April 26, 2023

THE NUMBERS

• Briar Cliff committed five errors in the loss and had a 6-4 hits advantage.
• Emma Groen had five runs batted in and was 1-3 with a homerun.
• Lauren Steenstra was 1-4 with a double and Aurora Tyson had three runs batted in and was 1-3 with two runs scored.
• Alexa Kopaska got the win with one run allowed on six hits with two walks and three strikeouts.
• All but one Dordt run was unearned.
• Dordt is 13-5 in the league and 32-10 overall and is tied for 2^nd in the league with Midland and Morningside.  Briar Cliff is 12-6 and 30-12.

NEXT

Dordt is scheduled to travel to face Jamestown on Thursday, April 27.