The Briar Cliff softball team split the series 1-1 with Doane Saturday in Crete, Nebraska. The Chargers move to 21-9 (5-3 GPAC) on the season.
 
"A really tough day after two good games against Northwestern," said head coach Erin Bly. "We came out very flat and unfortunately that is the outcome you get when you aren't prepared to play."
 
Game 1 – W, 4-2
After back-to-back outs to start game one, Ali Naumann singled up the middle to give BC their first hit. Kylee Lukes brought Naumann home in the next at-bat, tripling to right center and giving the Cliff a 1-0 lead.
 
Starting in the pitcher's circle for the Cliff was Maddi Duncan, who retired nine of the first 10 batters she faced with five strikeouts.
 
Holding onto the 1-0 lead in the top of the fifth, Sydney Lierman led off with a double to left center, and would later advance on a passed ball. With two outs in the inning, and Lierman still on third, Karis Gifford put the ball in play, reaching base via error which also allowed Lierman to score.
 
The Chargers tacked on another run in the sixth, after Kennedy Andersen's SAC fly that scored Lukes to give BC a 3-0 lead. The Tigers, however, tallied two runs in the bottom half of the inning to cut the lead to one.
 
With runners on first and third, Callie Billings reached base on an infield error, and scored Jessica James from third base. Duncan closed out her 12th win of the season with a scoreless seventh inning.
 
Duncan threw a two-run, nine-strikeout complete game while only allowing six hits.
 
 
Lukes recorded two hits, both extra base hits, to lead the Cliff. Gifford and Veronica Pitzl each stole one base.
 
Game 2 – L, 6-7
After the Chargers left two runers on base in the first inning, the Tigers struck first in game two by scoring one run in the bottom half of the first.
 
BC left another pair of runners on base in the second, but a two-out rally in the third inning plated three Charger runs. After a Lukes walk and a Aubrey Chichurka single, the Chargers would score one run in three straight at-bats to take a 3-1 lead. Andersen and Lierman each singled to score one run, and James brought Andersen home on a throwing error by the shortstop.
 
Doane would tie the game in the fifth at 3-3, but the Cliff would answer with a pair of runs in the sixth. Naumann notched a two-RBI single, scoring Billings and Gifford to move the Chargers back ahead. Doane scored twice in the bottom half of the inning to tie the game, however Karina Cupples infield single in the seventh scored Montie Richter to take a 6-5 lead.
 
The Tigers walked off in the bottom of the seventh with a one-out two-run home run.
 
Katelyn Kotlarz started for the Chargers and threw 4.0 innings with six strikeouts and five walks. Duncan is tagged with the loss after throwing 2.1 innings in relief.
 
Chichurka and Andersen each recorded two hits. Naumann drove in two runs to lead the Cliff and stole a pair of bases.
 
Naumann extended her hitting streak to eight games, and Lukes has now reached base safely in 11 straight contests.
 
The Chargers will host College of Saint Mary next Friday for their home opener at Bishop Mueller Complex. First pitch is set for 3:00 p.m.