The Briar Cliff softball team went 1-1 on day one of the GPAC Postseason Tournament Wednesday in Orange City, Iowa. A late two-run double from
Ali Naumann secured the Chargers pitcher's-duel win but fell in the following game against the No. 1 seeded Northwestern Red Raiders.
Briar Cliff broke the 1990 squad's single season record of 32 wins today with their 33rd victory of the season.
Maddi Duncan also became the Cliff's single-season strikeout record holder and now sits with 214 in her freshman campaign.
""Overall, you have to be happy with what this squad has accomplished. We've never won a postseason game and we broke the all-time win record today," said head coach
Erin Bly. "That is a huge deal and a big step for this program. We can compete and the key is bringing our best every game. We've struggled with that consistency this year, but we were able to beat a very good pitcher in game one and have to grow as a team to bring that same intensity in game two. We'll look to fight Mount Marty tough tomorrow and hope to get a rematch against NW game two!"
Game 1 vs Dordt – W, 2-1
In a rematch of last week's pitcher's duel between
Maddi Duncan and the Defenders Abby Kraemer, it was Duncan who ended up on the winning side today.
The Defenders scored first off, a single to center field with two outs. Dordt's runner reached via walk and advanced after a SAC bunt and a wild pitch. Duncan settled into the contest following the run, allowing just two more hits and zero runs across the next six innings.
With a runner on first in the bottom of the third, a Dordt batter lined out to
Karina Cupples in left field, who made a heads up play by throwing the runner out at first on a force out.
BC's bats struggled against the arm of Kraemer for much of the game but finally got to the Defender pitcher in the fifth. With two outs in the inning
Autumn Soter notched a single, and pinch runner
Montie Richter was moved over to second on a
Karis Gifford single. The two speedy Chargers rounded the bases, giving BC a 2-1 lead, on an
Ali Naumann double to left center.
Now playing with the lead, Duncan carried the bats momentum into the pitcher's circle as she retired the next six straight Dordt batters. Despite a Dordt single in the bottom half of the seventh, Duncan closed out the first GPAC Tournament win in program history with three strikeouts.
Gifford notched two hits to lead the Cliff, while Naumann,
Jessica James, Soter and
Callie Billings each had a hit.
Duncan won her 19th game of the season in a one-run, three-hit complete game with 10 strikeouts.
Game 2 vs #12 Northwestern – L, 0-9
The second contest of the day was all Northwestern as they won by a 9-0, five-inning run rule. The Red Raiders set the tone in the first inning with a grand slam.
NWC scored once in the second and four times in the third.
Kylee Lukes drew two walks and
Audrey Evola was hit by pitch as they were the only BC base runners.
The Chargers are back in Orange City tomorrow for the GPAC Tournament and will face Mount Marty at 12:00 p.m.
#BattleOn
