Dana Sweeps Hastings in Softball
 

The Dana College softball team opened up the 2008 Great Plains Athletic Conference season with a sweep of Hastings College Tuesday.  Dana took game one, 6-1, and game two, 7-2.
 
The Vikings scored runs in each of the first three innings to take a 4-0 lead.  Maggie Downs (JR, St. Charles, Iowa) got things going for Dana with a single in the first inning.  Downs was sacrificed to second and then scored on another sacrifice by Josie Barrow (SR, Granger, Iowa).  
 
Downs was in the thick of the Viking scoring in the second inning as she drove in Whitney Newsham (FR, Ashland, Neb.) and TJ Beeman (SR, Grimes, Iowa).    Barrow opened the third inning with a home run to left field.  Brianne Nutty (SO, Omaha, Neb.) gave Dana some insurance with a two-run home run in the fifth inning. Hastings scored their lone run in the bottom of the sixth inning.  
 
Cassie Lager (SR, Missouri Valley, Iowa) pitched five innings of two-hit ball to pick up the win.  Nutty pitched the final two innings in relief.
 
Game two saw Dana fall behind 2-1 after the first inning and trail until the top of the sixth. The Vikings then exploded for six runs. Nutty and Beeman opened the inning with back-to-back home runs. Lindy Bohlmann (JR, Denison, Iowa) struck out, but reached first on a passed ball.  Bohlmann advanced to second when Newsham reached base on a Bronco error.  Paige Brune (JR, Dodge, Neb.) hit a single that scored Bohlmann. Barrow cleared the bases with a three-run double.  
 
Mindy Schoop (JR, Johnston, Iowa) went six innings, giving up one hit and two runs for the win.  Ashley Jess (SR, Monroe, Iowa) pitched the final inning to preserve the win.
 
Coach Roff’s Corner
“I was extremely happy with the way we played defense and pitched.  Our bats really came alive against Hastings, and we did a nice job of coming through in the 6th inning of the second game when we had been trailing 2-1 for five innings.  You could see in the girls’ eyes that they believed we were going to win, and we did.  All four pitchers (Lager, Nutty, Schoop, and Jess) were tough.  It was especially good to see Mindy Schoop gain some more confidence as we began the conference race.  She can be a force when she believes she is good.  There are still some little things we need to get better at, but we are making a lot of progress and coming together as a team.  It will be an exciting conference season!”
 
Dana is now 7-6 on the season and a perfect 2-0 in conference.  The Vikings will host Briar Cliff University on Friday night at 5 p.m.  The Chargers are 7-9 overall and 3-1 in conference play.
 

For more information please contact:

 Shad Beam, Sports Information 402-426-7389 or sbeam@dana.edu.