Softball Sweeps Dakota Wesleyan as Bats Come to Life
Hastings, NE – The Hastings College softball took a bit of time to get its bats going but once they did, the Lady Broncos easily disposed of Dakota Wesleyan 5-2 in game one and 14-6 (6 innings) in game two on a cool and windy Friday afternoon at the Smith Softball Complex.
Game 1
Game 1
| Final | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | R | H | E |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
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1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 4 | 0 |
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0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 5 | X | 5 | 11 | 1 |
Game 2
Game 2
| Final | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | R | H | E |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
|
1 | 1 | 2 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 6 | 8 | 4 |
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2 | 0 | 3 | 5 | 2 | 2 | 14 | 12 | 2 |
Hastings, NE – The Hastings College softball took a bit of time to get its bats going but once they did, the Lady Broncos easily disposed of Dakota Wesleyan 5-2 in game one and 14-6 (6 innings) in game two on a cool and windy Friday afternoon at the Smith Softball Complex.
DWU quickly picked up a run in the first on a sacrifice fly and then added another run in the fifth and seemed to have Hastings on the ropes with a 2-0 lead through five innings.
Kyleigh Boever did what she needed to do to keep HC in the game and the bats finally came to life in the bottom of the sixth. Lauren Schneider began the rally with a single off the pitcher which brought to the plate Taylor Stuhr. Now Stuhr had been crushing the ball all game long but the west northwest wind kept blowing would be home runs foul. Prior to this at bat, Stuhr sent three that would have easily cleared the fence in left but had to settle for walks since the ball flew foul. This time Stuhr hit a laser that stayed fair over the left field fence to tie the game 2-2.
Hastings was far from done as Katyn Kappler singled through the left side and moved to second on Sam Skinner's sac bunt. After Rayleigh Guyer drew a walk, Macie Mays one hopped the fence in right for a two RBI double as Hastings took the lead for the first time at 4-2. Elana Gerhard made it 5-2 when she singled to left to plate Mays.
That was all Boever needed as she got two strikeouts and a ground out to end game one with the 5-2 victory. Boever went 7.0 innings giving up two runs on four hits while striking out seven Tigers.
Gerhard led the way at the plate going 3-for-4 with a RBI. Mays went 2-for-4 with two RBIs while Stuhr was 1-for-1 with two RBIs. Kappler also had a two hit game.
In game two the wind shifted to the north as DWU picked up two early home runs to left while Hastings picked up a RBI single from Mays and tied the game when Schneider reached on a dropped fly ball by the center fielder allowing Mays to score.
The Tigers took a brief 4-2 lead but the HC bats went right back to work in the bottom of the third highlighted by the three run home run by Lexie Mudloff as Hastings regained the lead at 5-4. The Lady Broncos then broke game two wide open in the fourth as Sydney Schelkopf picked up a RBI double. She then scored on Mays' single to center. Mudloff would also pick up a RBI single and then pinch runner Araceli Ceja scored on a throwing error by the catcher and then Schneider singled to plate Mudloff as Hastings now led 10-4.
Hastings eventually hit the run rule in the bottom of the sixth as Guyer singled through the left side to plate Stuhr and then Schelkopf beat out a potential double play to allow Kourtney Stewart to score from third to end game two 14-6.
Schelkopf went 3-for-4 with two RBIs and three runs scored while Mudloff went 3-for-4 with a career high five RBIs with two runs scored. Mays went 2-for-4 with two RBIs and three runs scored. Schneider also recorded two hits in the win.
Hastings improves to 16-20 (10-8) on the year and will be back in action Saturday Apr. 22 as Jamestown comes to town for a doubleheader with first pitch set for 12:00 pm out at the Smith Softball Complex.
