Contact: Emily Adlfinger, Director of Athletic Communications, 563-588-7970

Mar. 20, 2021 – The Loras College softball team (0-6, 0-2 A-R-C) took the lead to start both games of the first American Rivers Conference (A-R-C) doubleheader of the season against Nebraska Wesleyan University (4-6, 2-0 A-R-C) on Saturday and a home run in the first game by Abigail Bergholz headlined the Duhawks' offense but the Prairie Wolves came back with late-game rallies to take both games at Faber Clark Field.

Neither team was able to get something going on offense through the first three innings but Bergholz gave the Duhawks a spark with a leadoff home run to start the bottom of the fourth. The Prairie Wolves came back in the fifth with a leadoff double to get into scoring position and a sacrifice bunt brought the runner home to tie the score, 1-1. Nebraska Wesleyan added another run in the sixth with another sacrifice bunt to move the runner to second and an error for the Duhawks gave the Prairie Wolves the chance to score and the opponents added two more runs to start the seventh with an RBI single to right field and a two-run RBI homerun on the next batter up. Madison Franks put herself into scoring position off a throwing error before Sara Vander Mause brought her home off a single RBI, but the Prairie Wolves ended the inning with two quick outs to take the first game.

Bergholz led the team with her home run and two hits on three at-bats and Jessica Bulanda recorded ten putouts while Grace Houghton had five assists. Taylor Donnell pitched all seven innings, recording four strikeouts and allowing six hits.

Starting in the circle for the second game, Nicole Bendig struck out the first batter and kept the Prairie Wolves from getting on the board before the Duhawks' defense finished the rest. Ellie Schill reached on a walk to start the bottom of the inning and a throwing error helped Bergholz get to second and send Schill home on the RBI before Bergholz's strong base running helped her get home off an RBI by Donnell. The Prairie Wolves needed to get something going to start the third and they wasted no time, starting the inning with a leadoff home run followed by an RBI off a single to left field and the bases loaded. Nebraska Wesleyan made the most of the situation, hitting a grand slam to take a 7-2 lead. Bendig helped get the Duhawks back on track with a leadoff single to center and advanced to second off a sacrifice bunt. Hadalyn Anderson got on base off an error by the Prairie Wolves and an RBI by Schill brought both Bendig and Anderson home to pull within three runs. Bergholz brought Schill home off a single to right field to cut Nebraska Wesleyan's lead, 7-5, but the Prairie Wolves posted two more runs in the third and another in the fourth to lead 10-5. Nebraska Wesleyan closed out the game with two RBI home runs, leading 14-5, and the Duhawks could not rebound in the bottom of the fifth, falling short in the night cap.

Bergholz added two more hits in game two on three at-bats with two RBIs and Schill and Donnell each tallied one RBI. Bendig pitched 2.1 innings, recording two strikeouts and allowed eight hits.  

The Duhawks return to Faber Clark field to celebrate Senior Day and host the Prairie Wolves for the third game of the series on Sunday, Mar. 21. First pitch is slated for noon.