SIOUX CENTER, Iowa — The College of Saint Mary softball team again played a terrific first game, falling just short in extra innings, in a GPAC double-header sweep at the hands of Dordt University.
“We had a day similar to Friday where we played really, really well in the first game and then did not play well in the second game,” remarked head coach Carolyn Todd Bray.
The Defenders took game one 6-5 before a 17-1 victory in game two to improve to 25-20 overall and 12-6 in GPAC play. CSM slips to 9-29 on the year with a 2-16 GPAC mark.
CSM next plays on Tuesday when they travel to Bellevue University for a single game at 6 p.m. as part of a combined Strike Out Cancer Event.
Game One: Dordt 6, CSM 5 (9 Innings)
In a see-saw battle, Dordt emerged victorious with a walk off squeeze play in the bottom of the ninth.
“I’m really proud of how hard we battled for nine innings in the opener,” exclaimed coach Bray before pointing out some impressive individual performances. “The highlights were definitely Ella Watts hitting for the cycle and Shaylynn Campbell pitching the complete game.”
“We outhit them, pitched well and played solid defense. We showed how well we are capable of playing,” added coach Bray.
The Defenders jumped out to an early 3-0 lead in the first courtesy of a two-run double from Chloe Kreuz and an RBI-single from Lauren Steenstra to plate Kreuz.
Watts got the Flames on the board in the second with a solo home run.
Dordt looked to be in control after adding a run in the fourth but CSM stormed back with a three-run sixth. Watts doubled home Daisy Lowther and Macy Santoni belted a two-run home run to tie the game.
One inning later, Watts tripled to score Lowther with the go-ahead run.
CSM was on the verge of victory with two outs in the seventh before Karli Olsen forced extra innings with an RBI-double.
Both teams stranded a pair of runners in the eighth and the Flames left another aboard in the ninth after an inning-ending double play.
Brooklynn Cox led off the ninth with a bunt single, stole second, and advanced to third on a sac bunt before another bunt from Olsen gave the Defenders the walk off victory.
Campbell (5-16) was the tough-luck loser, despite going the distance in the circle.
Hailey Wilken (1-0) worked a scoreless ninth to earn the win.
CSM received multi-hit performances from Watts (4-4, 2B, 3B, HR, 3 RBI), Lowther (3-5), Paige Stuck (2-5, 2B), and Megan Garcia (2-5).
Game Two: Dordt 17, CSM 1 (5 Innings)
Alexa Kopaska (2-8) allowed just an unearned run as she fired a complete game two-hitter.
Shaylynn Campbell and Sydney Griffin each singled for the Flames.
Dordt scored six runs each in the first and second innings before piling on five more in the fourth in the run-rule victory.
Coach Bray credited Dordt for scoring early and often, saying, “Dordt took advantage of six hits and one error to score six runs in the first inning. Give credit to the Defenders – they kept their foot on the gas and we could not get the job done in the circle or at the plate.”
“It’s frustrating because we are showing moments of how good we can be. But the consistency is not there to give us credit in the win column,” lamented coach Bray.
Cassie Wiseman reached on a bases loaded error in the second with Megan Garcia scoring the lone CSM run.
Daisy Lowther (1-3) suffered the loss for the Flames.
