The Briar Cliff softball team closed out the regular season with a 1-1 split with Mount Marty Sunday in Yankton, South Dakota. BC fell in game one despite a late rally but bounced back in game two with a 5-3 win.
 
"I'm really proud of how the girls ended regular season," said head coach Erin Bly. "We fought hard each game and played some of our best softball today."
 
Game 1 – L, 5-7
 
Mount Marty took a five-run lead through four innings, while the Chargers left four on base before breaking through in the fifth inning. 
 
With the bases loaded, Kylee Lukes drove in the first BC run with a single. Two more runs scored off an error by the right fielder on an Aubrey Chichurka batted ball. Kennedy Andersen drove in the final two runs of the inning with a single. 
 
The Lancers retook the lead in the bottom half of the inning with two more runs. The Chargers looked to rally in the seventh, getting runners on second and third with one out, but back-to-back strikeouts would end game one.
 
Lukes and Sidney Lierman each tallied two hits for the Cliff. Andersen drove in one, scored one run and reached base twice.
 
Game 2 – W, 5-3
 
The Chargers would strike first in game two when Andersen single to score Karina Cupples. The Lancers would take the lead with two runs in the bottom half of the inning.
 
Morgan Jones entered in relief in the bottom of the second and took control of the game for the Chargers. With a runner on first, Jones ended the inning with a strikeout and forced a groundout double-play. 
 
The Chargers loaded the bases in the top of the third, and Georgia Krohn cleared them and took a 4-1 lead when she reached base off an error by the left fielder. 
 
Lierman drove in an insurance run in the fifth, scoring pinch runner Veronica Pitzl to take a 5-2 lead. Jones gave up a run in the bottom of the fifth but responded with scoreless sixth and seventh innings to secure the 5-3 win.
 
Cupples went 3-for-4 from the plate with two runs. Anderwas 2-for-4 and had one RBI. Jones threw 6.0 innings and gave up four hits, one run and struck out two.
 
The Chargers end the regular season with a 19-22 mark and 9-13 in conference play. BC is currently ninth in the GPAC standings but are still in play for a spot in the conference tournament.