Softball Opens Season

The Dana softball team opened their season with a weekend trek to Oklahoma and Missouri.  Dana squared off on Friday against 18^th rated Rogers State and then played a three game set in Springfield, Missouri at the Evangel Tournament.

Coach Roff gave her experienced Viking squad opened their season with a test against 18^th ranked Rogers State in Claremore, Oklahoma.  Dana split the two game set with the Hillcats with a 7-0 loss and a 2-1 win.  Rogers State kept the Dana bats silent in the opening game by allowing only one hit.  The Hillcat pitchers struck out eight Viking batters.  Christa Backus (SR, Newton, IA) had the only hit for the Vikings.  Josie Barrow (SR, Woodward, IA) pitched five innings for Dana, allowing six runs on ten hits.  Sina Davis (SO, Van Meter, IA) pitched the final inning, giving up one run on two hits.

Game two was a pitchers battle.  Cassie Lager (SR, Missouri Valley, IA) picked up where she left off last season.  The right hander baffled the Hillcat batters all afternoon.  She allowed only one run on two hits in seven innings of work.  The Vikings scored single runs in the third and fifth innings.  TJ Beeman (SR, Grimes, IA) opened the third inning with a single.  She advanced to second on a Jesse McKinney (JR, Lincoln, NE) sacrifice bunt.  Maggie Downs (SR, St. Charles, IA) reached base on an error by the Rogers State second baseman.  Beeman came around to score.  The Vikings were unable to push across another run in the inning.  Dana increased the lead to 2-0 in the fifth. Lindy Bohlmann (JR, Denison, IA) walked to start the inning and advanced to third on a Beeman single.  McKinney laid down a perfect sacrifice bunt to score Bohlmann and Beeman advanced to third.   The Vikings were unable to plate another runner. 

TJ Beeman went two for three in game two and scored a run.  Beth Richmond (JR, Chariton, IA) added the only other hit for the game.

The Vikings traveled to Springfield, Missouri on Saturday to take part in the Evangel tournament.  Dana had three games against Culver-Stockton College, #23 Evangel University, and Baker University.  The Vikings played a pair of extra inning games and went 1-2 on the afternoon.

Dana and Culver-Stockton combined for 20 hits and ten runs in an extra inning game.  Dana took the lead in the second inning as Brianne Nutty (SO, Omaha, NE) doubled.  Abby Frederich (FR, Omaha, NE), who was pinch running for Nutty, advanced to third on a Christa Backus ground out.  Nutty scored on a Lindy Bohlmann (JR, Denison, IA) sacrifice fly.  Culver-Stockton tied the score in the bottom of the fourth inning on two hits and a stolen base.  The Vikings retook the lead in the sixth when Maggie Downs (SR, St. Charles, IA) scored on a Josie Barrow double.  The Wildcats evened the score in the bottom half of the inning with two more hits.  Each team scored two runs in the top of the eighth inning.  Culver-Stockton evened the score in the bottom of the inning.  Dana put the game away in the top of the ninth Cassie Lager scored on a Lindy Bohlmann single.  Bohlmann came around to give the Vikings a two-run cushion on a Melena Selzle (JR, Ashland, NE) ground out.

Maggie Downs and Josie Barrow each went two for four with an RBI.  Lindy Bohlmann went one for three with a run scored and two RBI’s.  Brianne Nutty pitched the first five innings for the Vikings.  Nutty gave up two runs on seven hits and had four strikeouts.  Cassie Lager pitched the final four innings in relief.  Lager allowed two runs on five hits and had three strike-outs.

Dana’s second game of the afternoon was no easier.  They faced tournament host and 23^rd rated Evangel University.  The two teams played first seven innings to a 0-0 tie.  Evangel took a 2-0 lead in the top of the eighth inning and left three on base.  Dana evened the score in the bottom half of the inning.  The Vikings loaded the bases on a hit and a walk.  Brianne Nutty drove in Dana’s first run with a ground out.  Christa Backus evened the game with a sacrifice bunt to score Beth Richmond.  The Vikings were unable to keep the tie as the Lady Crusaders pushed their third run of the game across home in the top of the ninth.  Dana was unable to even the score.  The final score ended up 3-2 in Evangel’s favor.

Maggie Downs, Brianne Nutty, and Christa Backus each had hits for the Vikings.  Nutty and Backus each had RBI’s for Dana.  Cassie Lager pitched nine innings in the loss.  She allowed three runs on five hits and had six strike outs.

The final game of the day pitted Dana College against Baker University.  The Wildcats kept the Viking offense down and came away with a 3-0 win.  Maggie Downs went two for three in the game.  Josie Barrow, Christa Backus, Lindy Bohlmann, and Paige Brune (JR, Dodge, NE) each had one hit.  Sina Davis pitched six innings allowing three runs on six hits.  She struck out six Baker batters in the loss.

Dana is 2-3 on the season.  The Vikings will travel to Hastings College this weekend for the Hastings tournament.  Dana will play three games on Friday starting at 3:00pm.  They will play two games on Saturday starting at noon.

#18 Rogers State Game 1:  http://www.dana.edu/softball/stats08/danrsu1.htm

#18 Rogers State Game 2:  http://www.dana.edu/softball/stats08/danrsu2.htm

Culver-Stockton Game 3: http://www.dana.edu/softball/stats08/dancvct.htm

#23 Evangel University Game 4: http://www.dana.edu/softball/stats08/evandant.htm

Baker University Game 5:  http://www.dana.edu/softball/stats08/bakdant.htm

Coach Roff’s Corner

“I thought that we did a nice job adjusting to playing outdoors for the first time this weekend.  Rogers State was a very good team, hence their preseason number 18 ranking!  They ran the bases well and that caused us to give up some unearned runs the first game.  But, we settle down very well to win game 2.  I thought Cassie Lager did a great job on the mound and we played solid defense around her.  We came up with the key hit and bunt when we needed to and came away on the winning side.  On Saturday, we played excellent the first 2 games against Culver-Stockton and Evangel.  Offensively, we did some good things, but also left some key runners in scoring position.  And the game against Baker was very uncharacteristic of what we have the ability to look like.  We did not come out ready to win and that was evident by looking at the end result.  All in all, we saw some very positive performances out of our team.  We need to get better offensively by stepping up and executing better so more runs can cross the plate.  I think our defense and pitching was the most positive aspects of the weekend.  Once things all come together, we will be in good shape.”

For more information, please contact:  Shad Beam, Sports Information Director at 402-426-7389 or sbeam@dana.edu.