Simpson clubs five homers to split doubleheader

DUBUQUE, Iowa -- The Simpson College softball team clubbed five home runs during its doubleheader at Loras on Thursday. The Duhawks won the opener before the Storm closed the day with a five-run victory.

Loras (1-11, 1-7 A-R-C) held off a late rally to win 6-5 for its first triumph of the year before Simpson (6-8, 4-4 A-R-C) rebounded with an 11-6 victory.

Karlie Hill connected on two home runs, one in each game, for her first of her career. Taryan Barrick-Wessels, Maddie Luderman and Sara Trent sent one over the fence as well for the Storm.

Game One: Loras 6, Simpson 5
Both teams were tied at 1-1 after the third inning as Luderman hit her second homer of the year in the top of the frame.

Loras piled on five runs in the fourth to jump out to a 6-1 advantage. The Duhawks tallied four hits in the inning to help the cause and forced Simpson to commit two errors.

After scoreless fifth and sixth innings, the Storm reopened the scoring lid in the final frame. Olivia Allen and Taylor Stamm started the inning with back-to-back singles before Hill put a charge into the ball for a three-run blast. Camrey Leo had an RBI single later in the inning to bring the game to within one, but Loras would suffocate the comeback with the third out.

Game Two: Simpson 11, Loras 6
The second game was Simpson's from the start after scoring seven runs in the first. Hill hit a grand slam to highlight the high-scoring first inning for the Storm. Barrick-Wessels drove in two at the dish as well.

Barrick-Wessels drove in another run in the second and Trent roped her second homer of the season in the third to score two runs to hand Simpson a 10-0 tilt.

After the hosts plated six runs between the fourth and fifth innings, Barrick-Wessels pushed one over the fence for her fourth RBI of the contest.

Up Next
The series concludes Monday with a single game that begins at 1 p.m. in Dubuque.