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Home > Athletics > Softball > NEWS |
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Lager Pitches Vikings to a 3-1 Weekend Blair, Nebraska ~ It’s amazing what one can do with good weather. The Dana College Softball team hosted Wayne State College and Dakota Wesleyan over the weekend. The Vikings came away with a 3-1 record and moved to the top of the latest GPAC standings. Dana split a Friday match-up with NCAA Division II foe Wayne State. Dana won the first 4-2 and lost the second in extra innings 6-5. On Saturday, the Vikings turned around and tamed the Tigers of Dakota Wesleyan 7-5 and 9-0. Dana stepped out of conference on Friday evening to square off against NCAA Division II foe Wayne State. It looked early on that the bigger school would make quick work of the Vikings. Wayne State put two runs up on the Vikings in the top of the third. Dana did not have a base runner until the fourth inning. Josie Barrow (JR, Granger, Iowa) led off the inning with a home run. April Groteluschen (SR, Columbus, Nebraska) and Sarah Sempek (SR, Omaha, Nebraska) each singled with no outs, but the Vikings were unable to push a second run across in the inning. The next inning Dana would take the lead, Lindy Bohlmann (SO, Denison, Iowa) would slap a single to left field and would then be sacrificed to second base. Groteluschen singled to center and drove in Bohlmann and TJ Beeman (JR, Grimes, Iowa). This would knock out the Wildcat starting pitcher. Sempek greeted the new Wayne State pitcher with a single to right field to drive in Josi Barrow. Viking pitcher Cassie Lager (JR, Missouri Valley, Iowa) pitched a complete game to pick up the win. Lager scattered nine hits in her seven innings and struck out four batters. Bohlmann, Sempek, and Groteluschen each went 2 for 3 in the first game. Game two saw the two teams tango into extra innings. Dana got on the board early as April Groteluschen singled to left. She then advanced to third on a double by Christa Backus (JR, Newton, IA). Groteluschen then scored on a Wayne State error. Dana picked up two more runs in the fourth as Beth Richmond (SO, Chariton, Iowa) singled. She was scored as Lindy Bohlmann homered to left field. Wayne State then would gnaw away at the Dana led by scoring two runs in the fifth and then tying the game with a single run in the sixth. Cassie Lager would replace Backus on the mound midway through the seventh inning to quell a would be Wild Cat rally. Wayne would take the lead in the ninth inning off of Lager. The Viking fielding would commit an error, which would result in three runs being scored. Dana would fight back in the bottom of the ninth with two runs on one hit. Groteluschen would homer to center to drive in two runs, but it was not enough. Josie Barrow would go 3 for 5 on the evening. Groteluschen would go 2 for 5 with two RBI’s and score two runs. Cassie Lager would pick up the loss. "Wayne State was a good team and we were happy with many things,” commented Head Coach Marcy Roff. “We did not execute well at all in the double header however, so that is something we have to get better at.” A bright and sunny Saturday would greet the Dana Vikings as another set of cats would enter Zimmerman Field. This time Dakota Wesleyan would try their hand against Dana. The Tigers were sitting in third place in the conference standings at the start of the weekend double header. Dana would leap onto the scoreboard in the first inning as a Christa Backus double to right field would score April Groteluschen. The Vikings would pick up two more runs in the third, three in the fourth, and a single run in the fifth. Meanwhile, Josie Barrow would pitch five perfect innings. The sixth would see Dakota Wesleyan come out a swinging and put five runs up on Dana. Coach Marcy Roff would then turn to Cassie Lager to save the game. Lager responded with one perfect inning in relief with three strikeouts. Barrow and Sempek would each have two hits in the first game. Dakota Wesleyan would not see a friendly face on the mound as Cassie Lager would look to give Dana the sweep in game two. The Vikings and Lager would make quick work of the Tigers with a nine run, five inning route. Dana would strike for four runs in the bottom of the first. Lindy Bohlmann would come up with the big blow. Bohlmann hit a two out double to left field to drive in two runs. The Vikings would then put a two spot up in the second inning. Three consecutive doubles by Josie Barrow, April Groteluschen, and Sara Sempek would give Dana two more runs. Meanwhile, Lager and the Viking defense would allow only two DWU pitches in the first three innings. Dana would score the rest of its runs in the third inning. The Vikings would load the bases with a walk by Paige Brune (SO, Dodge, Nebraska) and singles by Bohlmann and Janez Anderson (SR, Albion, Nebraska). Josie Barrow would knock in two runs with a single to left. The three runs were enough to have the game ended in the bottom of the fifth. Barrow would go 3 for 3 on the day with two RBI’s. Sarah Sempek would go 2 for 2 with a run scored. Cassie Lager would get her second win in as many days by going five innings, allowing only two hits and striking out 11 batters. “I thought our wins over Dakota Wesleyan were very well played and we played error free on the day.” commented Roff after the weekend sweep. “When you don't make errors, great things happen. We got very good performances out of our pitchers once again. Dana hosts Midland Lutheran on Wednesday evening with the double header starting at 5:00pm. The Vikings will then travel to Dordt College on Saturday (games start at 2:00pm) and Mt. Marty on Sunday (games start at 1:00pm). “I think our girls are ready for the upcoming weeks and really want to make a run at a conference title.” added Roff on the upcoming schedule. “It will be a tough few weeks, but we certainly are looking forward to it!" Dana improved to 20-13 overall and go to 7-1 in conference. The weekend sweep saw Dana jump into first place in the GPAC standings. Morningside is only a game out with a 29-6 overall record and 10-2 in conference play.
Shad Beam, sports information director,
(402) 426-7389, sbeam@dana.edu |
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