Sports

Ladyjacks fall flat

By Staff reports

04/07/2015

WILLISTON - Dakota College at Bottineau’s (DCB) softball team was supposed to play host to a doubleheader last Saturday against Williston State (WSC).

The Tetons were meant to come to the softball complex at Tommy Turtle Park after hosting DCB on Friday. Saturday’s scheduled home-opening twin bill will have been circled on the Ladyjacks’ calendars.

Mother Nature intervened, however, leaving the Bottineau softball fields unplayable. That gave a 1-5 DCB team four games at WSC instead of the scheduled two.

Events on Friday and Saturday proved that just the two would’ve been preferable.

DCB struggled all weekend in four games on Williston’s home field. The Ladyjacks couldn’t get much momentum going their way and dropped each game of the series.

The Ladyjacks’ troubles began in Friday’s first game, a 10-0 win for Williston in five innings. The Tetons blew the game wide open with six runs in the second frame and kept DCB off the scoreboard.

Williston again rolled in the second game of the day’s doubleheader, defeating DCB 11-2. The Tetons again came alive in a five-run second inning, and one Ladyjack run in both the second and fifth innings weren’t nearly enough.

DCB starting pitcher Taylor Glass had a tough day on the mound. She completed Friday’s first game and started the second, but she gave way to Abby Mehling in the third inning of the rematch.
In just over two innings’ worth of work, Glass allowed seven hits in the rematch and picked up the loss.

Ladyjacks shortstop Molly Pfeifer and third baseman Marisol Rodriguez scored DCB’s only two runs on the day, both in Friday’s second game.

First baseman Amanda Cain had arguably DCB’s most productive day offensively. In Friday’s second game, the freshman swatted a double, drove in one DCB run and stole one base.

ALL WSC ON DAY 2

When the teams met again at the Dakota Park Softball Field on Saturday, WSC picked up where it left off.

The Tetons rolled again in the third game of the four-game set, downing DCB by an 18-1 count in five innings. Mehling started in the circle for the Ladyjacks and completed the game, but she and her DCB team allowed 18 Williston runs on 12 base hits.

Freshman Tiffany Hummer started the game at shortstop and ended up scoring the Ladyjacks’ lone run in Saturday’s first game. Hummer picked up one of only three DCB base hits in the game before right fielder Taylor Messerly drove her in.

Unfortunately for DCB, Hummer’s run in the third game was the last the Ladyjacks would score that weekend. The visitors were unable to plate any runs in the fourth and final game of the series, losing 10-0 in five innings.

Hummer was again the Ladyjacks’ most productive player offensively in the series finale. Williston only allowed one hit in the game, and it came off of the freshman’s bat.

Glass pitched all five innings and gave up 10 runs on 11 hits.
The Ladyjacks (1-9) will try to right the ship this weekend when it visits Dawson in Glendive, Mont. DCB and the Buccaneers will take part in a pair of doubleheaders on Saturday and Sunday.