DUBUQUE, Iowa – The Loras College softball team split it's midweek series with the Luther College Norse on Thursday afternoon at Faber-Clark Field. The Duhawks won game one 3-2, before falling 2-1 in game two.
Game One: Loras 3, Luther College 2
The Duhawks (15-8 overall, 2-1 A-R-C) scored the first two runs of the contest. In the opening frame,
Ava Franklin reached base with a base hit up the middle before scoring on an RBI triple off the bat of
Kiya Steger. After reaching on an error to open the bottom half of the second,
Morgan Machovec came all the way around to score after a SAC bunt and an RBI fielder's choice from
Emily Monahan.
Luther (14-9, 0-1) scored their only two runs of the game in the top of the third inning. The Norse would score both runs off a Duhawk error to tie the game at two.
In the fifth frame,
Katherine Svigelj reached base on a fielder's choice before stealing second. With two outs in the inning, Franklin came through for the Purple and Gold with an RBI double to score the go-ahead-run and give Loras a 3-2 lead.
In the circle,
Kaili Henning earned her fifth win of the season. Henning threw a complete game, allowing six hits, no earned runs with fives strikeouts and one walk.
Game Two: Loras 1, Luther College 2
Game two featured a classic pitchers duel between Steger from Loras, and Luther's Olivia Engler. Steger took a shutout into the fifth inning before running into trouble, while Engler took her shutout all the way to the seventh inning before giving up her first run.
Luther (15-9,1-1) was the first team to plate a run in this defensive battle after a two-out hit from Raven Allen that scored Kari Welter in the top of the fifth. After a one, two, three innings from Engler, the Norse got another run in the sixth after a fielder's choice.
Loras (15-9, 2-2) tried to rally in the bottom half of the seventh. Steger led the inning off reaching on an error, then advancing to second on a wild pitch. After a Henning walk, Machovec dropped a perfect SAC bunt to put runners on second and third with one out. However, Engler was able to work herself out of the jam, allowing one run to cross to secure a split in the doubleheader.
Up Next: Loras will travel to Waverly, Iowa to take on the Knights of Wartburg College. First pitch for game one is scheduled for 1 p.m., with game two scheduled to start at 3 p.m..
