Stuhr's Game Winning Double allows Softball to Split with Dordt
Sioux Center, IA – The Hastings College softball team started its day thinking it was going to play two games outside but mother nature had different plans pushing storms through the area. Since they were at Dordt, the Defenders built a new indoor facility called the American State Bank Sports Complex where Dordt won game one 4-2 before Hastings came back to win game two 5-4 in 10 innings.
Sioux Center, IA – The Hastings College softball team started its day thinking it was going to play two games outside but mother nature had different plans pushing storms through the area. Since they were at Dordt, the Defenders built a new indoor facility called the American State Bank Sports Complex where Dordt won game one 4-2 before Hastings came back to win game two 5-4 in 10 innings.
The Defenders were very efficient through the first three innings picking up one run in each against starter Sophia Haverkamp for the early 3-0 lead.
Hastings finally broke up the no hit but of Abby Kraemer in the fourth with a single from Rayleigh Guyer. Then Macie Mays got a hold of one depositing it over the right center field fence to make it a 3-2 ball game. Unfortunately that would be all the offense HC would get going down in order over the next three innings losing game one 4-2.
Mays obviously led the way at the plate going 1-for-2 with two RBIs and a run scored.
Haverkamp pitched pretty well against one of the better teams in the Great Plains Athletic Conference going 6.0 innings giving up four runs on six hits while striking out four Defenders.
Hastings returned the favor in game two scoring a run in the first three innings as Mays doubled home Sydney Schelkopf for the early 1-0 lead in the first. Then Schelkopf singled to center to score Taylor Stuhr but Sam Skinner was thrown out at the plate to end the inning with the Lady Broncos and Defenders tied 2-2. Hastings then took the lead when Stuhr picked up a RBI single in the third to plate Guyer.
Hastings later added to that lead in the sixth on a wild pitch to go up 4-2.
Kyleigh Boever looked to be in control at this point but Dordt picked up three infield singles in the bottom of the sixth that led to two runs that eventually pushed the game into extra innings.
Boever continued to fight until the game got to the 10th where the international rule kicks in and both teams start with a runner on second. Mudloff moved Haverkamp to third with a sac bunt and then Stuhr came up big with a two out double over the center fielders head to make it 5-4.
Boever then seemed to face an impossible task as Dordt's Emma Groen would steal third on just the third pitch of the bottom of the 10th. But Boever never waivered striking out Lauren Steenstra and Taylor Knaack before inducing an Aurora Tyson groundout to first to end the game with HC picking up the critical 5-4 victory.
Stuhr led the way going 2-for-4 with two RBIs and a run scored in the game two victory while Schelkopf and Lexie Mudloff each went 2-for-4.
Boever had a gutsy effort in picking up the win going 10.0 innings giving up four runs on 10 hits while striking out 11 Defenders on 164 pitches.
Hastings is now 14-18 (8-6) on the year and will be back in action Saturday Apr. 15 taking on Northwestern in a doubleheader with first pitch set for 2:00 pm in Sioux Center, IA in the American State Bank Sports Complex.
