MANKATO, Minn. - The Eagles Softball team traveled down to Mankato for their season openers against Saint Mary's University and Bethel University on Saturday morning. Northwestern split with a 2-4 loss to Saint Mary's and an 8-0 win over Bethel.
Game 1: Saint Mary's University Cardinals
Northwestern got on base first, but fell 2-4 against a talented MIAC opponent, who won the conference championship and played multiple games in the NCAA Tournament last season.
Starting the lineup for UNW, was senior, Sydney Lane (Altoona, Iowa/Grand View Christian). Lane led off with a single, which set the tone for an efficient day at the plate for her. Jadyn Iverson (West Fargo, N.D./West Fargo) also made it on base in the first after being intentionally walked. Unfortunately for the Eagles, the pitcher for Saint Mary's fanned the third strikeout of the inning, leaving Lane and Iverson on base.
Rounding out the first inning, the Cardinals got on the scoreboard off a miscue by the Eagles' defense, which would have closed out the inning. After the first run, SMU was able to convert one more run before UNW wrapped up the inning with a clean catch in right field. With the early lead, Saint Mary's continued with momentum as they retired the Eagles in order, going three up, three down. Saint Mary's went on to produce offensively as they scored in the 2nd and 3rd innings. Down 0-4, Northwestern finally got on the board in the top of the fifth.
In the fifth inning, Hannah Storey (Big Lake, Minn./Monticello) led off for UNW. She saw four balls and made her way to first. Mikayla Gee (Rochester, Minn./John Marshall) bunted and pushed Storey to second as she reached first on an error. Following Gee, Kate Beer (Prior Lake, Minn./Prior Lake) poked a single to load the bases for the first time in the game. Lani Schoper (Madison Lake, Minn./Mankato West) delivered a well-placed 2 RBI single, bringing Storey and Lane home for the only two UNW runs of the game. The score stayed locked at 2-4 through the final two innings.
Senior Emma Heffron (Altoona, Iowa/Grand View Christian) went the distance in the circle for the Eagles. Heffron faced 26 batters, only allowing two earned runs and tallying two strikeouts. Offensively, Lane went 3-4 from the plate and scored once, while Schoper went 2-3 with 2 RBI. In the field, Iverson led the team with five putouts, while Schoper, Lane, and Riley Summers (Fontana, Wis./Big Foot) each tallied three putouts.
Game 2: Bethel University Royals
The Eagles quickly bounced back in the second game of the day against a #24 ranked Bethel team, who also made an NCAA tournament appearance last year. For the first time since 2005, Northwestern recorded a commanding 8-0 win against the Royals.
In an exciting first inning, Northwestern batted through the entire lineup, bringing home four runs to take the early lead. Lane made it to first base thanks to an error on the throw. With Lane on base, Beer hit a triple to bring Lane home. Schoper walked in her first at bat, and successfully stole second. The Royals tried to beat Schoper to second but couldn't connect on the throw, and she was able to sneak to third with the error while Beer scored. Up next for UNW was Iverson. Iverson was walked, Reganne Henning (Beatrice, Neb./Beatrice) came in to pinch run for her, and stole second. Trista Oberle (Hudson, Wisc./Homeschool) also advanced to first on a walk. With the bases loaded, Summers put the ball in play, which resulted in a wild throw bringing Henning and Schoper to home plate to bring the score to 4-0.
As the Royals took to offense, they threatened to score, but Northwestern held off their runner on third and got back to work at the plate. Leading off the second inning was Beer at the top of the lineup. She singled and advanced to second where another hit by Schoper pushed her to third. With runners on first and third, Iverson singled to the left and notched an RBI. The bases were loaded once again after a single from Summers. Due to a passed ball, all three runners moved, resulting in a run by Schoper. Storey singled for two RBI before the Royals found a third out to lock-in the score at 8-0.
The final three innings resulted in no runs thanks to a solid performance by junior pitcher Ireland Strubbe (Chandler, Ariz./Valley Christian). Strubbe retired seven batters and only allowed one hit in a five inning shutout. Beer went 3-4 at the plate, also tallying an RBI. In just her second career game as an Eagle, the freshman, Storey, was 2-3 with two RBI. Summers also drove in two runners.
UNW will be back in action for the second half of the Bethany Lutheran Kwik Trip Invitational next Saturday, February 22 with games at 10:30 AM and 1:00 PM against Gustavus Adolphus and St. Olaf.
