Dordt Takes Game Two from Softball

CRETE, Neb. - Doane softball dropped game two of its Saturday doubleheader against Dordt, falling 17-4 in five innings at the Doane Ballfield Complex in Crete.

Dordt struck quickly with three runs in the top of the first. After three straight singles loaded the bases, Lauren Steenstra delivered a two-run double to right center and Sumaya Edwards added a sacrifice fly to make it 3-0.

Doane answered with a run in the bottom of the inning. Jeryn Allen singled to open the frame and later scored on a two-out RBI single by Evelyn Iniguez to cut the deficit to 3-1.

The Defenders added three more runs in the second. Tera Lynn Price and Chloe Kreuz opened with singles before Rylee Yager doubled home a run. Steenstra followed later in the inning with a single that brought home two more, helping Dordt take a 6-1 lead.

The Tigers again responded in the bottom half. Ciara Hudson led off the inning with a solo home run, and later in the frame Allen scored on an RBI single by Jacqueline Ordonez, trimming the gap to 6-3.

Dordt scored three times in the third inning to push the lead to 9-3. After two hit batters and a third batter reaching safely, Kreuz connected on a three-run homer. Doane got one run back in the bottom of the inning when Kayla Meyer led off with a solo shot to make it 9-4.

The fourth inning put the game out of reach. Dordt plated seven runs in the frame, highlighted by a two-run homer from Ashtyn Grissom, a three-run double from Steenstra, and an RBI single from Edwards. The outburst stretched the lead to 16-4.

Kreuz added another solo homer in the fifth inning for the final margin.

Dordt finished with 18 hits in the contest, led by Kreuz, who went 4-for-5 with five runs scored, five RBI, and three home runs. Steenstra drove in seven runs on a 3-for-4 day with two doubles, while Yager added three hits.

Doane collected 10 hits in the loss. Allen went 2-for-3 and scored twice, Ordonez had two hits and an RBI, Hudson was 2-for-2 with a home run, and Meyer added a solo homer. Iniguez also drove in a run.

Natalie Ascencio took the loss after allowing six runs in two innings. Bri True and Lauren Dick also saw time in the circle before Faith McDonald worked the final 1.2 innings.

With the split on the day, Doane moved to 17-14 overall and 4-4 in GPAC play. Dordt, the conference leader, improved to 26-7 overall and 7-1 in league action.

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