Storm sweep Beavers as Ehlers joins 100-hit club

INDIANOLA, Iowa - The Simpson College softball team began conference play with a sweep over Buena Vista, as shortstop Alexis Ehlers smacked her 100th career hit in game two.

Ehlers singled to center field in the first inning of game two to reach the milestone, joining teammate Maddie Luderman as the only active Simpson players as members of the club. The Storm (19-5, 2-0 A-R-C) extended its win streak to 14 games, as starting pitchers Madeline Petersen and Taryan Barrick-Wessels earned wins in each game to continue their impressive seasons.

"We came out and stuck to our game plan, which starts with pitching," said Storm head coach Brent Matthias. "The pitching staff is doing a great job of pushing each other and competing at practice and it's carrying over to games. Offensively, we are really barreling up balls and scoring runs in many different ways. This team fights for each other and it definitely shows."

GAME ONE: Simpson 8, Buena Vista 1

• Simpson started the conference season with a bang, with freshman Mackenzie James's two-run RBI single giving the Storm a 2-0 lead after the first inning.
• The Storm then exploded in the third inning, started by Jenna Norris putting a ball in play that forced the Beavers' (7-17, 0-2 A-R-C) starting pitcher to commit an error and score Ehlers.
• Katie Shaner, Kate Kriegel, and Caelynn Obleton all had RBI hits in the inning, giving Simpson a 7-0 lead after three innings.
• The Beavers pulled one back with a solo home run in the top of the fifth, but Megan Heidelbauer got one back in the bottom half with an RBI double.
• Petersen finished off the complete game, working around some trouble in the sixth and then retiring the Beavers in order in the seventh.

GAME ONE LEADERS

• Megan Heidelbauer: 3-for-4, 2 2B, RBI, run
• Alexis Ehlers: 2-for-4, 2 2B, 2 runs, 2 SB, RBI
• Kate Kriegel: 2-for-3, RBI, 3B, run
• Caelynn Obleton: 2-for-3, RBI, run
• Ashlyn Steen: 2-for-4, run
• Mackenzie James: 1-for-4, 2 RBI, SB
• Madeline Petersen: 7.0 IP, 4 H, 1 R, 1 BB, 7 SO, win

GAME TWO: Simpson 11, Buena Vista 1 (five innings)

• The Storm got going early again, with Ashlyn Steen drawing a leadoff walk, allowing Heidelbauer to smash her second home run of the season.
• Simpson turned the first inning into an offensive onslaught, scoring eight total runs on seven hits, with five straight batters driving in a run in the inning.
• The Storm added three more runs in the second, with Jenna Norris hitting an RBI single, followed by Shaner's two-run single to right field.
• Buena Vista only scored one run the remainder of the game, as Barrick-Wessels claimed her sixth win of the year, as the senior has only allowed one run in her last 20 innings pitched.

GAME TWO LEADERS

• Megan Heidelbauer: 2-for-2, HR, 3 RBI, run
• Katie Shaner: 1-for-2, 3 RBI
• Kate Kriegel: 2-for-2, 2 RBI, SB, run
• Jenna Norris: 2-for-2, RBI, run
• Ashlyn Steen: 1-for-2, 2B, RBI, SB, 2 runs
• Mackenzie James: 0-for-0, 2 runs, 2 BB
• Taryan Barrick-Wessels: 3.0 IP, 2 H, 0 R, 5 SO

NOTABLE

• Alexis Ehlers joined the Simpson 100-hit club.
• Madeline Petersen tied her career high in strikeouts with seven.
• The Storm now all lead the all-time series, 60-29.
• Megan Heidelbauer and Ashlyn Steen extended their hitting streaks to 10 games.

UP NEXT
The Storm remain at home to take on Dubuque on Saturday.