Softball closes series with loss at No. 19 Wartburg

WAVERLY, Iowa -- The Simpson College softball team was unable to slow the No. 19 Wartburg offense for the second day in a row en route to a 9-1 loss to close out the season series on Sunday afternoon.

The Storm (5-7, 3-3 A-R-C) woke their bats up to connect for seven base hits after the offense tallied just three knocks during yesterday's doubleheader. Wartburg (13-3, 4-2 A-R-C) erupted for 10 hits and ended the weekend with 29.

The Knights started their quest for the three-game sweep with a run in the first inning. With that run, Wartburg scored in seven of its last eight innings played, going back to game one yesterday.

Taylor Stamm clubbed a double in the second for Simpson's second hit of the game, but was stranded. The offense put two runners on in the third and was threatening to score, but would not get passed second base during the frame.

The Knights padded their lead with three runs in the third with the help of a run-scoring double by Olivia Brecht before she scored on a two-run homer by Kaci Sherwood. Sherwood's blast was her third this weekend and eighth of the season.

Simpson plated a run in the sixth to break the scoreless drought. Karlie Hill stepped up to the plate as a pinch hitter and drove in Liv Erickson. With two outs in the inning, Maddie Luderman moved a runner to third with a double before they were left on.

Wartburg tacked on five runs in the sixth to put the run-rule in place. The Knights had three hits in the inning and forced the Storm to commit three errors to aid the scoring output.

Inside the circle, Taryan Barrick-Wessels and Mackenzie DePhillips both had two strikeouts, while the Wartburg pitching staff only had one.

Up Next
Simpson remains on the road this week to begin a three-game series at Loras on Thursday with a doubleheader. The finale will take place Monday, April 5 in Dubuque.