The Northwestern College softball team lost a pair of games to Briar Cliff this evening, falling 1-0 in game one and 7-2 in the nightcap. The Red Raiders drop to 3-17 in the GPAC, 7-29 overall with four games left to play.
Game one featured a pitchers dual between Kami Kuhlmann of Northwestern and Camille Cruz for Briar Cliff. Both pitchers were dominant and combined to give up just seven hits while striking out 17. Kuhlmann (3-12) picked up the hard-luck loss as the sophomore gave up three hits and an unearned run in the fifth inning. She recorded a season-high seven strikeouts.
Briar Cliff put its only run on the board in the fifth inning when Joanne Sweeney reached based on an error and later scored on an RBI single by Jessica Horton. Northwestern threatened in the seventh when Ashley Evans and Rachel Harris walked with just one out but Cruz got the final two outs to stop the NWC rally.
Sara Curry, Shelby Johnson and Stephanie Van Duyn all had one hit for the Raiders.
The visiting Chargers took a 3-0, second inning lead en route to their 7-2 game two win. Briar Cliff added a run in the fifth and three more runs in the sixth inning, all off Northwestern starter Jessica Hooper (3-11), who took the loss. Hooper gave up 10 hits and four earned runs in seven innings, striking out four.
Trailing 3-0, the Raiders cut the lead down to one with two runs in the fourth. Heidi Esdohr led off the inning with a single and scored on an RBI double by Kuhlmann. With one out, Shelby Johnson smacked an RBI single that scored Kuhlmann and chased BCU starter Reagon Anthony. Cruz came in and pitched the final 3.2 innings of scoreless relief.
Northwestern totaled three hits, one each for Esdohr, Kuhlmann and Johnson.
The Red Raiders play host to Dana on Thursday, April 29 at 5/7:00 pm.
2010 Media Guide
