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

DECORAH, Iowa (May 6, 2021) – Home runs by Hadalyn Anderson and Jessica Bulanda headlined the Loras College softball team's (2-25, 2-21 A-R-C) first two games of the final American Rivers Conference (A-R-C) regular season series on Thursday against the Luther College Norse (24-13, 13-10) but an offensive push in both games fell short as the Duhawks fell 7-1 in the first game and 9-4 in the second.

The Duhawks looked to strike in the top of the second with Bulanda, Gabriella Garcia, and Sara Vander Mause reaching but the Norse kept them scoreless and responded with a home run to take the 1-0 lead. Luther added another in the third off a single that drove in one unearned run, but Bulanda made it a one-run game with a home run over the center field fence. The Norse had an offensive burst in the fourth with three runs pull ahead, 5-1, and added two more in the fifth off a two-run bomb. Loras kept Luther from adding any more in the sixth and Bulanda looked to get the Duhawks going in the seventh with a double, but the Norse held on to take the first game, 7-1.

Bulanda was 3-3 at the plate with Loras' lone run. In the circle, Taylor Donnell pitched 4.1 innings, recording two strikeouts and eight hits against 24 batters.

The Duhawks got the bats swinging right away in game two with Anderson hitting a leadoff home run to put Loras up 1-0. The Norse answered back with two in the bottom of the inning and worked a quick top of the second before scoring two more to lead, 4-1. Luther gradually built the lead to 5-1 in the bottom of the third off an RBI double and added a home run in the fourth but the Duhawks were ready to go in the fifth as Madison Franks singled to center and advanced to second on a single for Bulanda. Abby Jones came in to run for Bulanda and advanced to third after Anderson singled to center, bringing Franks home. Grace Houghton came up to the plate and hit a double to bring in Anderson and Jones, cutting Luther's lead, 6-4. The Norse added a run off an RBI single in the bottom of the inning and tacked on two more in the sixth, giving just enough cushion for the 9-4 win.

Anderson had two hits on four at bats and scored a team-high two runs and Garcia also had two hits in the game. Houghton and Anderson both recorded two RBIs and Kayla Stich pitched 4.0 innings with 11 hits on 26 batters faced, allowing six runs.

The Duhawks will complete the series on Saturday, May 8 for one final game in the regular season. First pitch is set for 1 P.M in Decorah.