Storm salvage split with Central in A-R-C opener

PELLA, Iowa – The Simpson College softball team opened American Rivers Conference play with a doubleheader split at Central. The Storm tallied a 5-1 win in game two after falling 7-4 in the opener.

Liv Erickson led the way with four hits, while Megan Crockett drove in a season-high four runs. Crockett and Maddie Luderman both homered, and Karlie Hill hit a two-run double.

The Storm (16-7, 1-1 A-R-C) head to Dubuque for another conference doubleheader against Loras tomorrow at 2 p.m.

Game 1: Central 7, Simpson 4
A three-run homer by Crockett gave the Storm a quick 3-0 lead in the first, but the Dutch (13-9, 1-1 A-R-C) would score four runs on four hits and two errors in the second to go ahead. After a pair of scoreless innings, Central added to its lead with a run in the fifth and two more in the sixth.

Simpson's last-chance rally started strong as Randie Richmond and Erickson opened the seventh with back-to-back base knocks. Olivia Allen drove in Richmond on the next at-bat, and Luderman drew a one-out walk to load the bases for the Storm's lead-sluggers Hill and Crockett. Morgan Schaben induced a pop-up to second base for the second out before grabbing the final out herself to seal the victory.

Game 2: Simpson 5, Central 1
The Storm went ahead early in game two as well. After Erickson hit a leadoff single and Crockett was intentionally walked with two outs, Hill brought both home with a double to left field. The Dutch got on the board in the bottom half but Simpson was quick to respond with a bases-loaded walk in the second frame.

Luderman doubled the visitor's lead in the final inning with her fourth home run of the season. Erickson scored on the play after another leadoff single, her fourth hit of the day.

The win snapped the Storm's six-game losing streak in Pella.