Sioux Falls at Northwestern

• PREVIEW
• BOXSCORE

The Northwestern College softball team came back to defeat USF 4-1 in game two of a GPAC doubleheader to earn a split against the visiting Cougars. USF won game one 3-1. The Red Raiders are now 3-9 in the GPAC, 6-20 overall while USF falls to 1-11 in the GPAC, 2-20 overall.

Both games featured solid pitching performances on both sides. In game one, Lindsey Johnson (1-5) outdueled Raider ace Kami Kuhlmann (2-8) to earn her first win of the season. USF totaled six hits and scored two runs in the first inning and one more run in the sixth. Northwestern tied its season low with just three hits and scored its run in the bottom of the seventh. Hope Weiler drew a one-out walk and pinch-runner Jessica Bostwick then advanced to second off a groundout by Stephanie Van Duyn. Rachel Harris followed with a two-out walk and then pinch hitter Ashley Evans belted an RBI single, driving in Bostwick. The rally ended on the very next at-bat on a fielders choice hit by Kami Kuhlmann.

Kuhlmann took the hard-luck loss, giving up six hits and three earned runs while striking out four. Evans, Kuhlmann and Heidi Esdohr all had one hit for the Raiders.

Northwestern came back to win game two 4-1 behind the right arm of Jessica Hooper (3-6). The junior gave up five hits and one run in six innings to pick up her team-leading third win of the season. Hooper struck out seven, her second highest total of the season, and walked three.

Both teams did all their scoring in the sixth inning. USF scored on an RBI single by Lindsey Johnson, scoring Christina Bonrud. Trailing 1-0, Northwestern rallied with a three spot in the home half of the sixth. Shelby Johnson drew a one-out walk and was pinch-run for by Brittany Dicus. Glory Benson followed with a single and after an error by the leftfielder, Dicus came all the way around to score to tie the game at one. Hooper followed with a single and then both Weiler and pinch-hitter Ashley Evans drew walks, scoring Benson. Harris smacked a run scoring single to make it 3-1 and then Esdohr hit a sacrifice fly to centerfield, scoring Weiler  for the final run.

Harris led NWC with two hits and an RBI. Kuhlmann extended her hit streak to 14 games, going 1-for-3.

Coach Kuhl's squad will host Buena Vista tomorrow at 4:30 in a make-up game originally scheduled in March.