The Dordt University softball team pushed its win streak to five with a pair of wins on the final day of the American State Bank Sports Complex Softball Classic - Feb. 6-7.

• Box Score - Mayville State |
• Box Score - Bellevue

The Defenders picked up wins over Mayville State (N.D.) and Bellevue (Neb.) to run their record to 5-0 this season for its best start to a season since 2020 (6-0). 

Game One: 9-3 win vs Mayville State

Addison Stephenson drove in the game-winning run in the top of the sixth inning and Abigail Tweedy pitched four scoreless innings of relief in leading the Defenders to a 9-3 win in their first game on the East Field. 

Tied 3-3 in the sixth, Stephenson hit a soft single to right field that drove in the Defenders courtesy runner, Molly Zylstra, from third with one out. Later in the inning and with two outs, Chloe Kreuz smacked a 3-run triple to right field, scoring Peyton Whipple, Tera Lynn Price and Sumaya Edwards to break the game open. Kreuz came into score on a Rylee Yager single to give Dordt an 8-3 lead. 

The Defenders plated one more run in the seventh on an RBI groundout by Stephenson.

Tweedy (1-0) pitched four innings of one-hit ball to earn the win in her Defenders debut. The freshman struck out five and did not walk a batter. Bailey Johnson started the game and allowed three unearned runs with four strikeouts over 3-plus innings.

Dordt matched its season-high for hits (9), led by Yager (2/4), Annabelle Hensley (2/4) and Tera Lynn Price (2/2). Price scored three runs and Kreuz contributed three RBIs. 

Mayville State (1-3) scored all three runs in the third inning, getting a run-scoring single from Madison Terres. Baileight Momberg (0-2) gave up five runs in 5.1 innings and struck out five Dordt batters. Four different Comets players had one hit each; Lindsey Tulla, Ryanne Bass, Leticial Herrera and Terres.

Game Two: 3-2 win vs Bellevue

Rylee Yager pitched her third complete game of the season in leading Dordt to a 3-2 win over Bellevue in the final game on Saturday. 

Yager (3-0) matched her career-high with 12 strikeouts while giving up seven hits and two earned runs. 

Both teams totaled seven hits with the Defenders led by Annabelle Hensley and Lauren Steenstra with two hits each. Hensley and Chloe Kreuz recorded the RBIs while Kreuz, Yager and Tera Lynn Price all scored a run.

Scoreless after two, Dordt pushed all three runs across in the bottom of the third inning. Price led off with a bunt single and came around to score the first run on a triple by Kreuz. Dordt scored its second run when Yager, who reached on a bunt single, and Kreuz combined on a double steal to give the Defenders a 2-0 lead. Dordt plated its final run off a sacrifice fly by Hensley.

Bellevue came back with two runs in the fourth off a two-run home run by Daniela Ramirez, scoring Leslie Egan, who led the Bruins with two hits. Ellie Zoucha (0-1) took the loss, giving up three runs in 2.2 innings.

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