The Northwestern College softball team was eliminated from the NAIA Region III Softball Tournament with a 1-2 record. They end their season at 28-21. The 2008 event is being played at the SYA Softball Complex in Sioux City, Iowa.
The Red Raiders lost to Morningside in the first game of the day, 9-1 in six innings. The second seeded Mustangs recorded 11 hits and earned five walks against the Red Raiders as they scored four runs in the fourth inning and five more in the sixth. Lexy Determan, the co-Pitcher-of-the-Year in the conference, pitched the first three innings and gave up five hits and four runs. Gavi Burrola pitched the final 2.1 innings and gave up six hits and five runs. Kelly Baumert earned the win for the Mustangs as she pitched the first five innings and gave up three hits.
Northwestern registered six hits and scored their one run in the sixth inning off a Lara Vonnahmen single that scored Sara Curry. Michelle Van Duyn led the way at the plate with three hits.
With the loss, Coach Mason's squad had to face GPAC regular season champion and third-seed Concordia in an elimination game. Meeting for the fourth time this season, Northwestern out-hit Concordia 12-4 and knocked off the Bulldogs, 2-0. Amy Larson and Vonnahmen each went 3-for-3 at the plate and Lizz Swanson added two hits and two RBIs. Coach Mason's squad grabbed a 1-0 lead in the second inning on a two-out, RBI single by Swanson which scored Gavi Burrola. Northwestern made it 2-0 in the fourth inning when Van Duyn scored off another RBI single by Swanson.
It was more than enough runs for Determan who pitched her ninth shutout of the season. The freshman gave up just four hits and struck out seven to improve to 21-10 on the season.
In the final game of the day, NWC lost to Minot State (N.D.) in an elimination game, 12-2 in six innings. With the loss, the Red Raiders end the tournament with a 1-2 mark for the third consecutive year.
Minot State struck first with two runs in the third inning. Four consecutive singles by the Lady Beavers plated both runs, the big hit courtesy of catcher Lana Dubois with a two-run, two-out single. MSU scored two more in the fifth inning on four hits. Dubois came up with the big blow once again with a two-run double. Northwestern got on the board with two runs in the bottom of the fifth inning. Rachel Harris led off the inning with a single followed by Vonnahmen and Determan reaching base on back-to-back Minot State errors that scored one run. Swanson followed with an RBI single that scored Jenny Otto who pinch ran for Determan.
The Lady Beavers broke the game open with eight runs in the sixth inning off eight hits and a trio of errors by the Red Raiders. The game ended in the bottom of the sixth inning via the 10-run rule when Northwestern failed to score.
Offensively, the Red Raiders managed just three hits, one each by Swanson, Harris and Stacey Godfrey. Determan picked up the loss on the mound as she gave up 15 hits and seven earned runs in 5.1 innings. Burrola pitched the final .2 innings of scoreless relief.
Northwestern ends their season with a 28-21 overall record.
2008 media guide
