Softball Sweeps Wartburg in Conference Opener
Mar 31, 2015
Score by Innings R H E ----------------------------------------- Wartburg............ 020 000 0 - 2 4 0 Univ. of Dubuque.... 010 001 1 - 3 8 0 -----------------------------------------
Note: 1 out, 1 runner LOB when the game ended.
Score by Innings R H E ----------------------------------------- Wartburg............ 000 200 4 - 6 6 2 Univ. of Dubuque.... 301 112 X - 8 12 3 -----------------------------------------
DUBUQUE, Iowa - The University of Dubuque softball team captured the sweep of Wartburg College Knights on Tuesday afternoon, winning the opener in a thrilling bottom of the seventh victory 3-2 and capturing the second game in an 8-6 victory. The Spartans improve to 2-0 in Iowa Conference play and will continue their IIAC season on Thursday when they host Loras College Duhawks in the Strike Out Cancer series beginning at 3:00 p.m. on April 2. Last season the two teams joined forces and raised over $1,300 for the local American Cancer Society.
One of the hottest team entering Tuesday was the Wartburg Knights who came into the the Iowa Conference opener winning 15 of their last 16 games which inlcuded an upset of #16 Augustana College on Sunday. The Spartans fell behind in game one, but would continue to pressure the Knights with runners in scoring position when they knotted the game at 2-2 in the bottom of the sixth inning.
Meggie Schmidt singled to third base and brought teammate Hannah Koerperich home for the tying RBI. UD would strand two runners to finish the sixth. UD opened the top of the seventh with a Wartburg walk and would leave two runners on base before a ground out to second would end the Knights attempt at taking the lead. The Spartans started the bottom of the seventh on a walk to Kelli Gerace. Tori Woltz was out at first 3b to 2b on a sac bunt; Gerace advanced to second. Grunder stepped up and garnered a double to right field earning the RBI as Gerace scored to end the game with a Spartan victory 3-2. Koerperich went the distance on the mound and captured the win after forcing the Knights into nine ground outs and nine flyouts. Meggie Schmidt and Grunder would both finish the afternoon 2-4 at the plate with an RBI.
In the second game UD attacked early and scored three runs on four hits to take a 3-0 lead after one inning. The Spartans would continue to score in every inning, but the second and led 8-2 through six innings. The Knight battled their way back at the top of the seventh and would score four runs on three hits before a groundout to shortstop ended the Knights chances in an 8-6 loss. Andrea Smith, Woltz, and Koerperich would all collect a double in the conference win to help the Spartans to a 2-0 mark in the league standings. Amanda Williams earned the win after striking out five and facing 35 batters. Woltz and Grunder each compiled a pair of RBI's with Schmidt, Andrea Smith, Woltz and Ainsley Billesbach all finishing with two hits each in the second game. UD scored eight runs on 12 hits while the Knights scored six runs on six hits.
