Game Time... The Red Raiders play host to USF in a GPAC doubleheader in Orange City, Iowa. First pitch for game one is slated for 5:00 pm and can be heard via the Northwestern College web-cast, weather permitting.
Scouting Report... Head Coach Kristi Gillen is in the midst of her fourth season as skipper of the Cougar softball team. In her first year at USF, she helped guide her team to a national tournament berth and a 29-16 overall record. Last season, USF struggled to a 3-21 mark, 3-19 in the GPAC. This year, Coach Gillen's squad is off to a 2-6 start, 1-5 in league play, and have had six games canceled due to the weather.
The Cougars are 12th in the league in team batting average, posting a .206 mark so far this season. They are averaging four runs per game and just over five hits per game. The USF pitching staff ranks ninth in the league with a 5.47 ERA with 21 strikeouts in 51 innings. Defensively, they rank 12th with a .906 fielding percentage.
USF returns six offensive starters from last year's team, including senior outfielder Melissa Mulder. Mulder is seventh in the GPAC with a .417 batting average (10/24) and has hit the team's only home run of the season. She also has a team-best seven RBIs. Katie Farley, a sophomore from Brandon, S.D., is batting .300 (6/20) with one double and three RBIs. Freshmen Lindsey Johnson ranks third on the team with a .267 average while sisters Tarra Gacke (.240) and Tasha Gacke (.238) are also among the team's offensive leaders. Freshman Merissa Kringen leads the USF pitching staff with a 1-3 record and 5.13 ERA. In 26 1/3 innings pitched, Kringen has walked just five batters and struck out 14. Fellow freshman Alyssa Boscaljon has posted a 1-2 record with a 4.26 ERA in 19 innings pitched.
Last Time Out... USF split a pair of GPAC conference games with Dordt this past Monday (April 7), falling in game one 6-4 but coming back to win game two, 5-2. Game one featured 25 hits between the two teams, 10 by USF. The Cougars, however, were hindered by four errors in the field which led to a pair of unearned runs scored by Dordt. Five USF players had two hits apiece, led by Katie Farley who added two RBIs. Cather Tina Spade also had two hits, two runs scored and one RBI. Merissa Kringen picked up the loss in game one as the freshman went 6 1/3 innings and gave up all 15 hits and four runs. In game two, Alyssa Boscaljon pitched a complete game and scattered eight hits and giving up two runs, both unearned. Offensively, USF managed four hits, led by Tasha Gacke with a triple and run scored.
The Red Raiders lost a conference double-dip to GPAC leader Concordia, 4-2 and 1-0, last Saturday (April 5). In game one, Northwestern broke a scoreless tie in the bottom of the third inning when Lizz Swanson belted a two-out, solo home run to take a 1-0 lead. It was the senior outfielders seventh home run of the season. Concordia responded with four runs in the top of the fourth before the Red Raiders scored their final run in the bottom of the sixth when Sara Curry crossed home plate on an RBI single by Lexy Determan. Determan picked up the loss on the mound (9-6) as the freshman went the full seven innings and gave up just five hits, four runs and struck out six.
Game two featured an old-fashioned pitcher's dual between Caitlin Lawrence of Concordia and Gavi Burrola of the Red Raiders. Concordia scored the only run in the third inning when Christy Jeppesen led off with a solo home run. Burrola (3-6) was brilliant in the loss, giving up just six hits ans walking two. For the second straight game, Northwestern managed four hits, two by Michelle Van Duyn. Sara Curry added a double while Stacey Godfrey went 1-2.
Red Raider Notes... Northwestern comes into today's games with a 12-12 overall record, 2-4 in the GPAC. Head Coach Melanie Mason is in her seventh year as Head Coach and has led NWC to a 203-109 record coming into this year. Last year, the Red Raiders finished 32-19 overall and tied for second place in the conference with an 18-6 mark.
NWC is batting .275 this season, seventh best in the league, averaging 4.4 runs per game. They are among the league leaders in stolen bases (29/35) and have nine home runs so far this season. The pitching staff boasts a 3.02 ERA, fourth best in the GPAC and defensively, NWC is third with a .956 fielding percentage.
Lizz Swanson is among the league leaders in several offensive categories, including batting average (.440-2nd), hits (33-2nd) and slugging percentage (.787-2nd). She is the GPAC leader in home runs (7) and RBIs (31) and also has stolen seven bases this season. Since joining the team after her basketball season wrapped up, Amy Larson is batting .385 with three runs scored in four games. Sara Curry sports a .364 batting average and is tied for first in the GPAC with three triples. Senior Michelle Van Duyn is seventh in hits (27) and maintains a .346 batting average.
The pitching staff is led by newcomers Lexy Determan and Gavi Burrola. Determan, a freshman from Terril, Iowa, is third in the league in wins (9) and ninth in ERA (2.12). She is second in the GPAC with 105 strikeouts against just 28 walks in 89 1/3 innings pitched. Burrola is 3-6 this season with a 4.54 ERA.
Next up... The Red Raiders are scheduled to play both Midland Lutheran and Doane on the road this weekend with the match-up against the Warriors on Friday, April 11 at 5/7:00 pm.
2008 media guide
