SWCC splits wind-swept twinbill

Southwestern had a total of 30 hits and 25 runs, but still could manage just a split of a windswept home softball doubleheader Thursday against North Central Missouri Community College.

Southwestern outlasted the Pirates 18-14 in the first game that took two hours and 40 minutes to complete. North Central gained the split with a 10-7 victory in the nightcap.

The games were played in temperatures just below 60 degrees, but also in a steady northwest wind of nearly 25 mph, with a high gust of 44 mph according to the National Weather Service. Routine popups to the right side of the infield repeatedly blew foul over the first base dugout.

“It was the worst wind I’ve ever had for a team to play in,” said Southwestern coach Danny Jensen, who had an Iowa Softball Hall of Fame coaching career at Murray for four decades. “I’d rather have the southwest wind. The northwest wind was brutal. The kids were frustrated in the field. The foul ball meter was an an all-time high. They had a lot of lefties and we were trying to pitch outside, but the wind was pushing the ball in.”

Southwestern started to take command of the opener by sending 10 batters to the plate in the bottom of the third inning with six runs for an 8-3 lead. But, North Central answered with an eight-run fourth to jump ahead 11-8. From there it was a battle, with Southwestern’s win keyed by a four-run outburst in the bottom of the sixth to make it 18-12. The Spartan defense retired the Pirates after they scored two runs in the seventh inning for the 18-14 win.

Erika Kruse hit a home run and double to lead the Spartans’ 17-hit attack in the opener. Kirsten Streeter had three hits and three RBIs, Brooklyn Hadl knocked in three runs on two hits and pitcher Cora Ostrem drove in two runs on two hits. Ashton Willis scored two runs and drove in two at the top of the batting order.

“The innings were so long, it was hard on the pitchers,” Jensen said. “Cora started for us and Streeter finished and got the win. They both went just over three innings.”

Southwestern trailed 10-4 going into the bottom of the seventh of game two and rallied with three runs, but fell short in the 10-7 loss.

“They scored three unearned runs in the top of the seventh or it would have been 7-7 and they probably would have pitched us differently in the bottom of the seventh,” Jensen said. “Kruse pitched the second game and did a pretty good job, but both teams had 13 hits and there were a lot of baserunners.”

Center fielder Kaitlyn Mitchell had three hits for the Spartans. Hadl, Kruse, Ostrem and Bethany Wright each had two hits. Haylee Meyer had two sacrifice bunts.

Southwestern returned to league action Sunday afternoon with a road doubleheader at Southeastern, falling 8-7 and 11-3 to fall to 10-20 for the season.

Sunday’s opener was a hearbreaker for the Spartans as Southeastern rallied with a two-out RBI single to right field to score the winning run. Kruse hit two home runs on the day and Jayliegh Robins added one roundtripper. Kirsteen Streeter pitched a solid 5.1 innings, Jensen said.

The Spartans host Iowa Western in a doubleheader Wednesday starting at 2 p.m.