Box Score 1 | Box Score 2 The Dordt University softball team earned a doubleheader sweep against Northwestern in a conference match-up between teams receiving votes in the latest NAIA Coaches' poll. The Defenders won game one 6-1 and rallied with an 8-run fourth inning to win game two 11-9.

Dordt pushes its record to 9-1 in the GPAC, 28-7 overall; Northwestern drops to 6-4 in the conference, 21-12 overall. 

The Defenders hit three more home runs to put their GPAC-leading total to 43 this season and totaled 21 hits in the two games.

Game One: 6-1 win  | Box Score

Dordt opened the doubleheader with a 6–1 victory over Northwestern behind a dominant pitching performance from Rylee Yager and a game-breaking grand slam by Lauren Steenstra,

Yager was in complete control in the circle, allowing just five hits across seven innings to earn her GPAC-leading 13th win of the season. The junior struck out 10 batters, marking the sixth time this year she has reached double digits,

The Defenders totaled 10 hits, paced by Steenstra who went 2-for-4 and four RBI, including a grand slam in the top of the seventh inning to break open a close game. Sumaya Edwards added a 2-for-4 performance with an RBI, while Chloe Kreuz and Yager each chipped in two hits.

Dordt struck first in the opening inning as Edwards lined an RBI single to score Annabelle Hensley. Northwestern answered in the second, tying the game on a squeeze bunt from Sydney Jacobs that brought home Allison Koontz.

The Defenders went ahead for good in fourth when Taylor Schneider led off with a single, advanced to second on a sacrifice bunt from Aubrey DeShaw and scored with a two-out, RBI single by Tera Lynn Price. 

Northwestern mounted its best threat to tie the score in the sixth, putting runners at first and third with one out, but Yager induced a ground-ball from Koontz and followed with a strikeout of Jacobs to strand the tying run and preserve the lead.

The Defenders put the game away in the seventh when Price, Kreuz and Hensley all reached base and then scored on the grand slam by Steenstra, her seventh home run of the season.

Tatum Schmalbeck (7-1) suffered her first loss of the year for Northwestern, surrendering six runs on 10 hits in 6.1 innings of work. Audrie Kohl recorded the final two outs in relief.

Five Red Raiders had one hit each, led by Allison Koontz with a triple and Jacob who drove in their only run.

Game Two: 11-9 win | Box Score

The Defenders pushed across eight runs in the fourth inning to earn an 11-9, come-from-behind win in game two. 

Trailing 6-2 heading into the fourth, Dordt sent 12 batters to the plate in its eight-run inning to go ahead for good. Ashtyn Grissom led off with a home run and then nine of the next 10 Defender hitters reached base against three Northwestern pitchers. Dordt took advantage of a couple of errors and three walks issued by the Red Raiders while Aubrey DeShaw added an RBI double. 

Northwestern responded by scoring three runs in the bottom of the fourth, the big hit coming on a 2-run triple by Allison Koontz. Cassidy Gors contributed an RBI single that scored Koontz to make it a 1-run game (10-9). 

Both teams went scoreless in the fifth and the Defenders picked up an insurance run in the top of the sixth on an RBI single by Grissom to score pinch-runner Molly Zylstra. 

Chloe Kreuz (4-0), the third Defenders pitcher, worked 3.2 scoreless innings and earned the win in relief. Kreuz walked one and struck out one.

For the second consecutive game, the Defenders pounded out double-digit hits, totaling 11 against Red Raider pitchers. Grissom led the way with a season-high three hits with two runs scored and two RBI. Peyton Whipple and Rylee Yager both contributed two hits and Steenstra drove in three runs.

Northwestern held the lead early, scoring two runs in the bottom of the first on an RBI single by Paige Kingery and a fielders choice hit by Koontz. Steenstra belted her second home run of the day to lead off the second inning and recorded another RBI in the top of third on a sacrifice fly as the Defenders trailed 3-2.

The Red Raiders pushed across three more runs in the third on a home run by Kavri Van Kekerix, her second hit of the season.

Kamea Van Kalsbeek (0-1) allowed one hit, two runs and walked one in picking up the loss. Van Kekerix paced the Defenders offense with two hits and three RBI. 

Notes: 

• Dordt swept Northwestern for the first time since the 2019 season
• the Defenders are one of four GPAC teams to have one loss in conference play (Dakota Wesleyan, Midland, Morningside)
• Yager extended her hit streak to 11 games and has hit safely in 18 of her last 19 games
• Steenstra has hit eight home runs this season, second most on the team (Kreuz - 14)
• Steenstra totaled seven RBI in the two games and leads the team with 48 this season
• Dordt has 10-plus hits in six consecutive games and nine of its last 10
• the Defenders have scored 10-or-more runs in 10 games this season
• Dordt will host Morningside for a double-header on April 8