Luderman, Ehlers lead Simpson to first sweep of the year

IRVING, Texas – Maddie Luderman drove in five runs, Alexis Ehlers totaled five hits and the Simpson College softball team earned its first sweep of the season against Dallas.

The Storm (2-2) took the first game 9-0 and won the second 10-2 in five innings.

Simpson's offense amassed 23 hits between the two games. Ehlers, who had four on opening day, led the team with five followed by Luderman with four. Karlie Hill, Caelynn Obleton and Ashlyn Steen all had three apiece.

Defensively, Simpson went without an error in 53 chances. 

Game One: Simpson 9, Dallas 0
The Storm went ahead 3-0 after two innings as leadoff batter Steen scored on a fielder's choice in the first and came around to score again in the second on a Crusader error that plated two. She added a third run two innings later when Kate Kriegel singled to left and Simpson took a 6-0 lead on an RBI double from Luderman.

Rylee Purvis stretched the lead to eight with a two-run homer to left field, scoring herself and Sierra Franklin who came in to pinch run for Ehlers after a single to center field. Another error by the home team allowed Simpson to score for a ninth time before starting pitcher Taryan Barrick-Wessels closed the game with two strikeouts and a groundout in the bottom of the seventh.

Barrick-Wessels (1-1) finished the game with eight strikeouts and allowed just four hits in the complete-game shutout.

Offensively, the Storm racked up 10 hits led by Ehlers and Luderman with two apiece.

Game Two: Simpson 10, Dallas 2
The Storm scratched the scoreboard first again in the nightcap, but the Crusaders (0-2) answered with two runs in the home half of the first to lead 2-1. Luderman tied the game with an RBI single and Ehlers gave Simpson the lead for good with a two-run triple to centerfield in the third.

The visitors scored three in the fourth and two in the fifth to initiate the run-rule victory. Luderman added two more RBIs to her total with a double, Hill homered to left to score a pair and Obleton rounded out the Storm's scoring with a two-run single to center.

Ehlers went 3-for-3 with a single, a double and a triple, finishing the weekend with nine hits and six RBIs.

Laurel Stice (1-0) got the start and picked up her first collegiate win in the circle.

Up Next
Simpson has nearly a month to prepare for 12 games at The Spring Games between March 11-17.