The Dordt Defenders dropped a pair of games in the ASB Sports Complex to (RV) Mount Mercy by a score of 14-4 and 5-1 on Friday.

GAME 1
HOW IT HAPPENED

The Mustangs and Defenders traded runs in their halves of the first inning. Mount Mercy's Calli Janik singled to left field that drove in Sarah Heick from third. Dort's Chloe Kreuz hit a single to center field that drove in Brooke Rule to tie the game 1-1.  Abbey Smith would reach on one of two Defender errors and it would prove to be costly. Smith would steal second and advance to third on a sacrifice bunt from Rylee Goodfellow. Abbey Smith would cross home on a sacrifice fly hit by Ashley Smith. Abbey Smith reached base on a fielding error by Lauren Steenstra which allowed Kennedy Daugherty and Callie Janik to cross home. In the fifth inning Rylee Goodfellow hit an infield single to second that would score Kennedy Daughterty for the second time. Later on in the fifth, Ashley Smith singled to center field that would drive in Abbey Smith for the Mustangs seventh run of the game. Callie Janik reached on a fielder's choice that would allow Sarah Heick to score the eighth run. Mount Mercy would hit two home runs in the inning after Hailey Wilken would enter the game in relief. Both Allie Poston and Natalie Tecklenburg would hit three-run home runs to break it open and lead 14-1 heading to the bottom of the sixth. The Defenders would make a attempt at a comeback late with two outs with a Karli Olsen walk with the bases loaded and an Aurora Tyson single to drive in Brooke Rule.

By the numbers:

• Dordt collected four runs on six hits and two errors
• Mount Mercy collected 14 runs on 15 hits with no errors
• Karli Olsen, Aurora Tyson, Chloe Kreuz, Alyssa Villa, Brynn Torrenga, and Brooklynn Cox all got a hit
• Maunt Mercy's Sam Lee tallied four hits
• Both Karli Olsen and Emma Groen wer hit by a pitch
• Alexa Kopaska (L, 0-3) pitched 4.1 innings give up eight hits, six earned runs, and struck out two batters
• Kalli Minger (W, 1-0) pitch a complete game and gave up four runs on six hits with eight strike outs and six walks

GAME 2
HOW IT HAPPENED

Dordt found themselves in a hole early as the Mustangs would score three times in two innings. The first score in the second inning off a solo shot hit by Grace Cotton. The other two runs came in the third inning after Abbey Smith hit an infield single that would allow Rylee Goodfellow to cross. Later that same inning, Sam Lee hit a fly ball deep enough to left field to drive in Natalie Tecklenburg with a sacrifice fly. Tecklenburg would reach first on an error by center fielder Aurora Tyson that would plate Ashley Smith and Kennedy Daugherty to make the score 5-0. Dordt would get a run late in the seventh inning off a Karli Olsen double where Brooke Rule came across to make the score 5-1 but it wouldn't be enough.

By the numbers:

• Dordt scored one run on eight hits and committed two errors
• Mount Mercy scored five runs on six hits and didn't commit any errors. 
• Brooke Rule, Aurora Tyson, and Ashtyn Grissom all tallied two hits
• Karli Olsen and Chloe Kreuz both had one hit
• Karli Olsen, Chloe Kreuz, and Ashtyn Grissom had a double
• Brooke Rule hit a triple
• Chloe Kreuz (L, 1-1) pitched all six innings and give up five runs (four earned) on six hits wiht six strike outs and three walks
• Alyssa McElvain (W, 1-0)  pitched all seven innings and gave up one run on one hit with four strike outs and one walk

Defenders fall to 1-4 overall and will play (RV) Grand View tomorrow at 2 and 4 pm in the ASB Sports Complex. Read Full Article