Softball Splits Home Opener with (RV) Benedictine

Softball played the first home games of the spring on Wednesday afternoon as they hosted Benedictine (Kan.). The Ravens came into the doubleheader fresh off of learning they nearly cracked the NAIA Top 25 poll released in the morning, sitting three spots outside the Top 25. Doane jumped out early in game one but one big inning lifted the Ravens to a 10-1 win in five innings. The Tigers bounced back in game two and posted a 6-4 win to earn the split.

Game One
Jeryn Allen was hit by a pitch in the first inning and came around to score on a two-out single by Anna Prauner to give Doane the early lead. Benedictine came back with two runs in the second inning to go in front and then scored eight runs in the third inning to pull away.

The Tigers were limited to two hits in the five-inning game as Jadyn Hunt also had a single to match Prauner.

Abbi Arroyo took the loss, allowing six runs on five hits in 2.0-plus innings of work. She struck out one batter. Sarah Shevenell threw 2.0 innings, allowing four runs on five hits with three strikeouts. Hannah Kline threw 1.0 scoreless innings, allowing one hit.

Game Two
Doane again struck first with a run in the opening inning. Payton Cooley started the bottom of the first inning with a triple and scored on a single by Katelyn Hays. Benedictine tied the game with a home run to lead off the third inning only to see the Tigers regain the lead with three runs in the bottom of the frame.

Hays plated Grace Dowding with a sacrifice fly to put Doane back in front. Jadyn Hunt then singled as the ball glanced off the pitcher's glove and rolled into shallow left-center field to plate two more runs for a 4-1 lead.

The Ravens tied the game with two runs in the fourth inning and one in the fifth. In the sixth inning, Marisa Marquez walked to open the frame. Britney Hoffman ran for Marquez and was chased around the bases by Dowding as she tripled to plate the go-ahead run. Cooley followed with a sacrifice fly to give the Tigers an extra run to work with.

In the top of the seventh, the first two batters for Benedictine recorded outs. A walk, a hit batter, and an infield single loaded the bases with the tying runs in scoring position. Faith Molina was able to induce a popout on the infield to end the game.

Molina threw a complete game, 7.0 innings, allowing four runs (three earned) on eight hits while striking out six batters. She improved to 5-1 on the season. 

Seven different players recorded a hit for the Tigers in the game with four of those hits going for extra bases. Doane picked up three triples in the game, one off the school record of four set in 2013. Hays and Hunt led the team with two RBI apiece as Cooley and Dowding scored two runs apiece.

Next up for the Tigers is a trip to San Antonio, Texas, where they will open against the newly anointed No. 1 team in the NAIA, Our Lady of the Lake. The Saints were tabbed to the top spot for the first time in school history.