INDIANOLA, Iowa (April 22, 2023) – Loras College softball managed to nab one close victory over Simpson College on Saturday afternoon, but the Duhawks couldn't hold off the Storm offense in game two as the two sides split their American Rivers Conference (A-R-C) doubleheader.

The Duhawks (14-11, 2-4 A-R-C) took game one by a narrow 3-2 margin, but the Storm (20-12, 3-7 A-R-C) got their bats going in the second game and took it 10-4 to get a win during Senior Day celebrations.

Loras 3, Simpson 2
There wasn't a ton of offense to be had in this one as Loras sophomore Ashlyn Hemm did her part in keeping the Storm off the scoreboard for most of the game. After three scoreless innings, the Duhawks struck first in the top of the fourth when senior Grace Houghton launched a two-run homer to left centerfield.

While the Storm got one run back in the bottom half, the Duahwks added an insurance run in the fifth thanks to an error on a bunt from sophomore Morgan Machovec. Simpson again responded with a lone run in the bottom half on a solo home run from Rylee Purvis, but that turned out to be all the offense for either team.

Hemm claimed her sixth win of the year by outdueling three Simpson pitchers. In her seven innings, she allowed two runs and just six hits with seven strikeouts and no walks.

Simpson 10, Loras 4
Offense was not nearly as hard to come by in game two as Loras started the scoring with two runs in the top of the first inning when Houghton hit her second two-run bomb of the day, with this one also plating senior Whitney Leipold.

After the Storm tallied one run in the bottom half, the Duhawks had a chance to hang another crooked number on the board as an RBI single for sophomore Payton Meier plated sophomore Clare Murphy, but senior Jadyn Anderson was gunned down at home plate to end the inning, limiting the output to just one run.

Anderson made up for it with an RBI single in the top of the third inning, but the tides changed after that as Simpson ignited for a four-run bottom of the third inning to take a 5-4 lead and force sophomore starter Shandi Rulli from the game.

Simpson reliever Kylee Tucker came on in the third inning and proved to be just what Simpson needed to stall out the Loras offense. The Duhawks tallied no runs and just three hits against Tucker in her 4.1 innings of work. During that time, Simpson took the lead and then added on with two runs in the fifth inning and three more in the sixth as the Storm belted four home runs in the game to run away with the 10-4 win.

Loras doesn't have much time to regroup as it will host another conference doubleheader on Sunday, April 23 against Buena Vista University. First pitch at Faber-Clark Field is scheduled for 12 P.M.