Northwestern College picked up a crucial sweep in its home opener this afternoon against Dakota Wesleyan, 10-8 and 11-3 (5 innings). The Red Raiders move to .500 in league play for the first time this season, 6-6 and 13-18 overall.
The Red Raiders scored 10 or more runs in six games this season, third time in GPAC play.
Devin Dreesen was one of the top hitters for Head Coach
Shane Bouman's squad in game one, going 3-for-4 with an RBI and run.
Amber Schubert went 2-for-4, tagging a grand slam in the bottom of the fourth inning that put her team up for good, 9-8. Schubert added an RBI single in the sixth, giving the senior five RBIs and a team-leading five home runs on the year. Five other Red Raiders had one hit each.
Emma Schnell (7-11) pitched 4.2 strong innings in relief to pick up her seventh win of the season. The sophomore gave up seven hits and one run while striking out three.
Northwestern plated five runs in the bottom of the first inning, chasing DWU starter Alyson Vanderpol after 1/3 inning, for a 5-1 lead.
Emily Bosch had an RBI triple and scored later upon a single by
Jennifer Boeve. Both Dreesen and
Bri Giordano added run-scoring singles in the first.
DWU came back with seven runs in the third, sending 12 batters to the plate on five hits and three Northwestern errors. Andriana Sprakel had two hits in the inning, driving in a pair of runs, and Karly Severence earned a bases loaded walk.
Trailing 8-5, Northwestern went ahead for good with a four-run fourth inning, led by Schubert's grand slam.
Sierra Haage (7-9) took the loss, giving up six hits and five runs in the final 5.2 innings. Sprakel had three hits to pace DWU and Amber Budmark, Julia Kelley and Kindra Clark all had two hits.
The Red Raiders scored eight runs in the bottom of the second inning, fueled by grand slam by
Madison Beaver, to earn an 11-3 victory in game two.
Down 2-0, Northwestern strung together six hits, eight runs and sent 12 batters to the plate in its big inning. In addition to Beaver's second home run of the season, Boeve added an RBI double and
Vanessa Gomez picked up an RBI on a bases loaded walk.
Northwestern scored an unearned run in the fourth and ended the game with a two-run double by
Jordyn Kramer in the fifth.
Schnell (8-11) pitched a complete-game, seven-hitter, allowing three earned runs. Kramer and
Emily Strasser had two hits each and six other Red Raiders totaled one hit each.
Haage (7-10) took the loss once again, allowing three hits and five runs in 1.1 innings.
