The Dordt University softball team pushed its win streak to four with a doubleheader sweep over Mount Marty today at Open Space Park in Sioux Center, Iowa. The Defenders earned an 8-0 win in game one and followed with a 9-1 win in game two; both games went five innings.
The Defenders improve to 4-0 in the GPAC, 23-6 overall, while Mount Marty drops to 1-3 in the conference, 8-13 overall.
Game 1: 8-0 win (5 innings)
Rylee Yager (11-4) pitched a complete-game one-hitter in leading the Defenders to their game one win. Yager, who leads the GPAC in both wins and strikeouts, earned her third shutout of the season and retired the Lancers in order in three of the five innings. The freshman walked three and struck out three.
The Defenders offense totaled 10 hits, including five doubles, for their third straight game with double-digit hits. Dordt's top three hitters in the order,
Chloe Kreuz, Yager and
Annabelle Hensley, along with
Peyton Whipple in the No.8 spot in the order, all had two hits. Both Kreuz and Yager drove in three runs.
Scoreless after one, the Defenders pushed three runs across in the second to take the lead for good.
Sumaya Edwards led off with single and came around to score on a double by Whipple. Following a walk to Tera Lynn Price, Kreuz drove in both baserunners with a double.
Dordt added three more runs in the fourth inning on three consecutive doubles hit by Kreuz, Yager and Hensley. The Defenders scored their final two runs in the fifth on a two-run single by Yager.
Mount Marty's Jacey Hayen (3-7) gave up eight hits and seven runs in four innings. Sara Ocegueda-Aguilar had the only Lancers hit, a single in the third inning.
Game Two: 9-1 win (5 innings)
The Defenders hit three home runs and
Abigail Tweedy pitched a complete-game two hitter in the 9-1, game-two win.
Chloe Kreuz,
Lauren Steenstra and
Taylor Schneider all hit the long ball to push the Defenders GPAC-leading total to 31 on the season. Hensley paced the Defenders 9-hit outburst with two hits while seven other players had one hit and four players (Kreuz, Steenstra, Schneider, Price) all drove in two.
Tweedy (6-1) limited the Lancers to two hits and four walks in five innings. The freshman struck out four and earned her fifth complete game of the season.
Scoreless after one, Dordt pushed across its first runs on a two-run triple from Tera Lynn Price that scored
Peyton Whipple and Schneider.
Mount Marty trimmed the lead to 2-1 in the fourth inning when Megan Toplovich came across on a Defenders wild pitch.
Dordt put the game away in the fourth inning when they scored seven runs on six hits, including all three home runs.
Sumaya Edwards led off with a double and scored on a Schneider home run, her third of the season. Later, Kreuz hit her GPAC-leading 10th home run, scoring
Peyton Whipple, for a 6-1 lead. After a Lancers pitching change,
Rylee Yager singled, stole second and scored on a single hit by Hensley. Steenstra completed the scoring with a two-run home run, her fifth of the season, and push the lead to eight.
Makayla Graunke (3-3) took the loss, giving up six hits and four earned runs in 3.2 innings. Both Megan Toplovich and Brooklyn Townsend had a single.
Notes:
- Dordt is one of three teams still unbeaten in the GPAC (Morningside and Midland)
- the Defenders have won eight games this season that were shortened due to the mercy rule
- Yager has hit safely in five straight games
- Kreuz extended her hit streak to eight games, five of which were multiple-hit games
- Kreuz has hit a home run in three of her last four games
- Yager has given up just one hit in consecutive appearances
- Tweedy has given up two hits in back-to-back appearances
- Dordt will head on the road to play Hastings and Doane next weekend (March 27 and 28)
