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

May 1, 2021 - The Loras College softball team (2-22, 2-18 A-R-C) kicked off the beginning of May at Faber-Clark Field on Saturday as they played host to the No. 15 Wartburg College Knights (24-6, 15-5 A-R-C) in an American Rivers Conference doubleheader. The Duhawks put pressure on the Knights late in the second game of the afternoon but were edged in both.

Game one saw both sides go three-up, three-down in the first inning but the Knights took off to score three runs in the second, two in the third and five in the fourth to go ahead by ten, holding the Duhawks scoreless through the game. 

Ellie Schill notched the lone hit in the game for the Duhawks in the third inning, reaching base on a bunt. Taylor Donnell made the start in the circle for Loras, throwing 3.1 innings allowing ten runs on 11 hits before Nicole Bendig was called in relief where she threw 1.2 innings to close out the game. 

In the second game of the intensely windy afternoon, the Knights put five up in the first inning, going on to add another in the second to go ahead by six. After a scoreless inning for both sides in the third, Wartburg drove five more runs across the plate before the Duhawks responded in the of the fourth. 

Grace Houghton put a runner in scoring position for the Duhawks with one out in the inning, seeing Abby Jones get the call to pinch run for Abigail Bergholz to step into the batter's box. Bergholz roped a single to right field that scored Jones from second to put the Duhawks' first run of the game on the board. 

After holding the Knights scoreless in the top of the fifth, the Duhawks' bats ignited in the bottom half of the inning with Madison Franks getting things going by reaching base on a walk and advancing to second on a wild pitch from pitcher Carly Salutric. Jessica Bulanda followed up by singling up the midle to score Franks from second to score the first run fo the inning. Schill reached on a fielder's choice to the shortstop that got Bulanda out advancing to second to put one runner on base for Sara Vander Mause. With Vander Mause at the plate, Schill stole second to get into scoring position, seeing the move pay off as Vander Mause smacked a single to right field to score Schill and bring the score to the final 11-3. 

Houghton, Bergholz, Bulanda and Vander Mause each posted a hit in game two with Bergholz and Bulanda each driving in a run apiece. Kayla Stich threw 3.1 innings in the circle, allowing nine runs on eight hits before Bendig closed out the game with 1.2 innings pitched, allowing two runs on two hits. 

The Duhawks return to Faber-Clark Field on Sunday, May 2 as they close out the season series against the Knights. First pitch is slated for 1:00 PM.