Softball Drops a Pair to #4 Luther
Apr 11, 2016
DUBUQUE, Iowa - The University of Dubuque softball team mustered just five hits and fell to #4 Luther at home, 9-0, and 10-0, on Monday afternoon.
Spartans Dig Themselves Early Hole in Defeat
Spartans fall 9-0
BOX SCORE
The Spartans (7-19, 0-4 Iowa Conference) faced a 5-0 deficit through three innings and couldn't recover against Norse starter Samanatha Bratland (13-0), who allowed the Spartans only two hits.
Bratland, owner of three no-hitters this season and a 0.78 ERA coming into today's game, struck out 12 Spartans in six innings and opposed UD starter Mackenzie Kyle (5-6), who threw over 170 pitches in her sixth complete game of the season. Kyle allowed nine hits, six earned runs, while striking out four in 7.0 innings of work.
Eight-Run Sixth Inning Sinks Spartans
Spartans Fall 10-0 (6)
BOX SCORE
After being down just 2-0 through the first five innings, the Spartans allowed eight runs on eight hits in the sixth inning as the Norse (27-1, 4-0 Iowa Conference) swept the series.
UD starter Randee Jackson (1-4) kept a tight hold on the Norse offense after limiting them to 7 of 27 with one run each in the third and fourth innings. The Norse offense, batting .381 as a team coming in, exploded in the sixth and finished with 15 hits against UD's three on the game. Luther scored all eight runs with less than one out before reliever Taylor Blair secured the final two outs on a pop up and groundout.
Both teams had their chances as the Norse left 13 on base while the Spartans stranded seven. In the early going, UD left bases loaded in the second while Luther stranded three in both the second and third innings.
In a rare instance, all 10 runs by the Norse were earned despite a season-high five errors by the Spartans. UD puts a tough sweep behind them against a Luther team that has recorded a shutout in its last six games while outscoring its three opponents, 50-0.
The Spartans face Central this Saturday, April 16 at 1:00 p.m.
