Dordt University earned a 4-2, come-from-behind win in game two of a GPAC doubleheader to earn a split against 11th-ranked Northwestern in games played today at the American State Bank Sports Complex. The Defenders lost game one 6-1 and remain in third place in the updated conference standings with a 9-5 record, 22-19 overall.Â
Game One: 6-1 loss
- Key Plays:
- scoreless after two innings, Northwestern pushed four runs across in the top of the third
- the Red Raiders scored their first run on a double steal by Charli Bomgaars and Kameryn Etherington
- Tatum Schmalbeck hit a two-out single to score Etherington
- Chloe Gallegos hit an RBI double followed by a run-scoring single by Jori Hajek to cap the scoring
- Northwestern pushed another run across on an RBI single by Ashtyn Billings in the fifth
- Dordt scored its lone run in the sixth on back-to-back singles by Chloe Kreuz and Aurora Tyson, followed by a two-out single from Alyssa Villa that scored Tyson
- Northwestern plated its final run in the seventh with an RBI single by Gallegos
- By the Numbers:
- Dordt totaled six hits compared to eight by Northwestern
- Kreuz and Villa both went 2-for-3 for the Defenders
- Etherington and Gallegos both had two hits to lead Northwestern
- Kreuz (11-7) allowed five runs and six hits in four innings
- Kate Kralik (14-1) earned the win, giving up three hits in five innings
Game Two: 4-2 win
- Key Plays:
- trailing 2-0, Dordt tied the game with a 2-run fourth inning
- Tyson led off with a single and advanced to second after a sacrifice bunt by Kreuz
- Villa drew a walk and Brynn Torrenga delivered a clutch 2-out double that scored both Tyson and Villa
- after Northwestern went scoreless in the fifth, Dordt plated the go-ahead run in the fifthÂ
- Brooklynn Cox led off with a triple and scored on a bunt single put down by Karli Olsen to put the Defenders in front 3-2
- Olsen came around to score after a Northwestern error on a ball hit by Tyson to give the Defenders an important insurance run
- By the Numbers:
- Dordt accounted for six hits compared to seven by the Red Raiders
- six Defenders had one hit each; Olsen, Tyson, Villa, Torrenga, Cox and Emma Groen
- Bailey Sample (4-3) earned the win, limiting the potent Northwestern line-up to five hits and two runs
- Jadyn Faber pitched two scoreless inning to pick up her second save
- Etherington (14-2) lost for just the second time this season, giving up six hits and four runs to go with eight strikeouts
- Abby Pate went 1-2 with an RBI and Etherington hit an RBI single in the second inning
