Storm split with Dubuque in tale of two games

INDIANOLA, Iowa -- Simpson gave starter Emily Bell more than enough cushion in game one but the bats fell silent in game two as the Storm came away with a doubleheader split against Dubuque on Wednesday, winning game one 5-1 before falling 2-0 in the nightcap.

The Storm are now 18-10 overall and 4-4 in the Iowa Conference while the Spartans snapped a 10-game losing streak with the win in game two, moving to 5-19 overall and 1-3 in the Iowa Conference.

Game One

Simpson 5, Dubuque 1

Four consecutive hits to open the game yielded two runs and enough cushion for Emily Bell to win for the 10th time this season as Simpson snapped a three-game losing streak with a 5-1 win in the opener.

Ashley Allen drove in the first run of the game on a single and later doubled for the 16th time this season, going 2-for-3 to lead the Storm at the plate. Annie Stolte drove in the second run of the opening frame on a groundout to provide enough breathing room for Bell. She cruised, scattering seven hits in the complete-game win to improve to 10-3.

Clinging to a 2-1 lead in the fifth, the Storm took advantage of three Dubuque errors to score an insurance run on a groundout by Madison Rasmusson. Simpson tacked on two more runs in the sixth, one on a safety squeeze by Kaleigh Snyder and another on a single by Madi Bennett.

Top Offensive Performances
Ashley Allen — 2-3, 2B, RBI
Madi Bennett — 2-4, RBI, R
Taylor Davis — 2-4, R
Kasiah Ehresman — 2-3
Kaleigh Snyder — 1-2, RBI

Pitching Breakdown
Emily Bell — W (10-3), 7.0 IP, 7 H, 1 R, 1 ER ,1 BB, 3 Ks

Game Two

Dubuque 2, Simpson 0

Brandy Heraty hit a two-run homer off Arianna Kim in the fourth inning and Simpson couldn't figure out Dubuque righty Taylor Blair in a 2-0 loss in the nightcap.

Heraty's first long ball of the season put Dubuque ahead and the Storm couldn't put together a rally in their second shutout loss in the last three games. Blair held Simpson to five hits in the complete-game win, her first of the season.

Simpson put a runner on base in each inning but went just 1-for-14 with runners on. Rasmusson went 2-for-3 with a walk to lead the Storm at the plate.

Top Offensive Performances
Madison Rasmusson — 2-3, BB

Pitching Breakdown
Arianna Kim — L (3-2), 3.2 IP, 5 H, 2 R, 2 ER, 0 BB, 1 K
Mary Leopold — 3.1 IP, 4 H, 0 R, 0 ER, 2 BB, 1 K

Game Notes
• Ashley Allen's double in game one gives her 16 on the season, tied for the second-most in a single season in school history and just three shy of breaking the record of 18 set by Tori Haag in 2014.
• Madison Rasmusson recorded a hit in each game, extending her hitting streak to 13 games. She has reached safely in 19 straight games.
• Kayla Reusche has gone three straight games without getting hit by a pitch, tying for the longest such streak this season. She has already set a school record by getting hit by 15 pitches this season, which is second on Simpson's career list.

Up Next
The Storm are scheduled to travel to Cedar Rapids for a doubleheader with Coe on Saturday, April 14. Start time is set for 1 p.m.