Contact: Nathan Cameron, Assistant Director of Athletic Communications, 563-588-7243

Apr. 14, 2021 - The Loras College softball team (1-14, 1-10 A-R-C) hosted their annual Strikeout Cancer game against the No. 18 University of Dubuque Spartans (17-6, 6-5 A-R-C) on Wednesday afternoon at Faber-Clark Field. The doubleheader kicked off with a first pitch from Linda Schill, mother of Loras softball outfielder Ellie Schill, who won her battle with cancer in March 2020. 

Taylor Donnell made her tenth start of the year in the circle for the Duhawks, throwing 2.1 innings allowing seven runs on seven hits before Nicole Bendig came in for relief. Bendig notched a strikeout of her own and allowed one run on three hits in 2.2 innings pitched. 

Offensively, Hadalynn Anderson, Donnell and Schill each had a hit apiece but it wouldn't be enough to fight off the Spartans who took an 8-0 victory in game one of the day. 

The second game saw Kayla Stich and Lexi Schmidt battle it out in the circle with the first two innings of the game remaining scoreless before the Spartans added a run in the top of the third. 

The Duhawks held off the Spartans with a scoreless fourth inning but two more runs scored in favor of Dubuque on an RBI sacrifice bunt and a sacrifice fly out that scored a runner from third. Dubuque scored two more in the top of the sixth on a two run shot from Morgan Turnmire but the Duhawks responded in the bottom half of the same inning to score a run on an RBI single to left center field that scored Anderson. 

Dubuque scored three more in the seventh inning to hold off the Duhawks with a final score of 9-1. 

Loras posted seven hits in the game, with Anderson, Donnell and Alexus Jensen posting two hits apiece. 

Head coach Ashley Winter utilized three pitchers in game two with Stich making the start, allowing five runs on eight hits with two strikeouts in 5.0 innings pitched. Bendig and Donnell each pitched an inning to finish the game in relief with both allowing two runs each. 

The Duhawks return to action on Saturday, Apr. 17 as they travel to Coe College to face the Kohawks in an American Rivers Conference (A-R-C) matchup. First pitch is scheduled fro 10:00 AM in Cedar Rapids, Iowa.