Storm fall to Luther, eliminated from IIAC Tournament

DECORAH, Iowa – Becca Girvan threw a three-hit shutout for Luther and the Simpson softball team bowed out of the Iowa Conference Tournament with a 7-0 loss Friday afternoon.

The third-seeded Storm (29-15) went 2-2 at the tournament and are hoping for a possible at-large bid to the NCAA Division III Championship. The team will learn its postseason fate Monday.

Tieryn Potratz was the only Simpson hitter to get the better of Girvan, going 2-for-3 with a double. A Chelsea Winegard single in the sixth inning was the only other hit.

In her school-record 42nd appearance of the season, Kacee Arey (26-15) allowed six earned runs and struck out four in the complete-game effort.

Her 26 wins are tied for the third-most by a Simpson pitcher in a single season and are the most since Laurie Dowd won the same number of games in 1989. Only the great Kelly Schade has won more games in a season (37 wins in 1999, 32 in 1998).

The top-seeded Norse (36-5) led 1-0 before plating five runs in the fourth inning. Kelsey Weindruch started the rally by coaxing a bases-loaded walk before Lauran Snyder and Kelsey Kittleson each hit 2-RBI singles.

Girvan (25-3) struck out eight and walked two as the Norse move on to play second-seeded Central for the right to meet fourth-seeded Coe in the championship.