DUBUQUE, Iowa (Duhawks.com) - The Loras softball team split with Wartburg in its Iowa Conference season opener on Saturday, taking game one, 10-8, before dropping game two, 5-1.  Home runs from Hannah Towns, Melanie Gerbig and Ashley Lentine led the charge offensively for the Duhawks.

MOMENTS THAT MATTERED
Game One
- Hannah Towns opened the scoring with a home run in the bottom of the first
- In the top of the fourth, after a two-run home run and an error Wartburg took a 4-2 lead
- Towns and Savannah Fowler both singled in the bottom half of the fourth, followed by a home run by Melanie Gerbig to push the Duhawks back in front, 5-4
- Trailing by two, Loras ripped off five runs in the home half of the sixth inning to take a 10-7 lead

Game Two
- Wartburg jumped out to an early lead in the second game, scoring three runs in the first inning, aided by a pair of Duhawk errors
- Ashley Lentine took the first pitch she saw in the bottom of the first for her fifth home run of the season and 11th for her career
- Wartburg's stifling pitching held Loras to four hits over the remainder of the game

NOTABLES
- Bria Lenten had her 10-game hitting streak snapped in game two … Shannon Coyle now has the longest active streak at eight games
- Lenten needs six RBIs to reach 100 for her career

FRIEDMAN GROUP PLAYER OF THE GAME  - Hannah Towns
- The Cedar Rapids native knocked in four hits on the day including her stellar performance in game one with three hits, two RBIs and a solo home run.

UP NEXT
Loras travels to Pella on Wednesday for midweek Iowa Conference action. The Dutch enter with a 16-6 overall record and 3-1 IIAC record.  First pitch is scheduled for 2 p.m.