OMAHA & SEWARD, Neb. — Dakota Wesleyan Softball hit the road on Friday, March 27th and Saturday, March 28th, against two GPAC squads, playing doubleheaders against both the College of Saint Mary Flames and Concordia Bulldogs.
The first contest against the Flames would be one of the program's most impressive displays of offense to date, as both teams would end up combining for 46 total hits and 37 scored runs through eight innings of competition. The game opened with five runs from the Tigers before the Flames responded with three of their own, and both teams would record three or more runs in at least three frames. Notable scores included a two-RBI home run from Jaycee Tebay in the top of the first, a three-run homer from Jordyn Blogg in the top of the sixth, and a two-run shot past the center-field wall from Macy Moore in the top of the seventh, but contributions would be seen throughout the entire lineup. On the mound, Mandalyn Nachtigall recorded two strikeouts through three innings pitched, while Keirstyn Krcil would post an impressive four strikeouts and allow just two earned runs through 3.2 innings of action. As both offenses continued to take advantage of errors and smart strategy down the stretch, the Tigers looked to Alison Ernsberger to close the contest, which she would manage with a strikeout in 1.1 innings pitched, facing the final five batters without allowing an earned run. Other impressive contributions included Avery Perkins, who kicked off her standout weekend with a three-hit, five-RBI performance against the Flames, alongside two contributed RBIs each from Dusti Draper and Liliana Arreola, but it would ultimately be Moore earning her fourth RBI of the day in the top of the eighth to bring the eventual game-winning run across home plate.
The second game of the doubleheader saw the Tigers take a much more commanding lead with an equally dominant defensive performance, with Ernsberger once again stepping up on the mound, this time as the team's starting pitcher. She would tally six strikeouts through 5.1 innings pitched and would completely shut out the Flames while the offense continued to work, with Arreola and Perkins picking up a handful of runs with a pair of singles in the top of the first, while an error allowed Perkins to cross home plate to give Dakota Wesleyan a quick 4-0 lead. A follow-up single to right field in the top of the third from Perkins and double to right-center field from Blogg would combine to get three more runs on the board in the top of the third, and the Tigers would reach run-rule territory in the top of the sixth as a hit-by-pitch with the bases loaded would get Alessandra Ciurca across home plate to bring the score to 8-0. Ivy Woolwine would close out the contest with a strikeout in the bottom of the sixth to end the game early with the eight-run advantage.
The next day, the Tigers would travel deeper into Nebraska to take on the Concordia Bulldogs down in Seward. The first contest of the doubleheader saw Ernsberger grab the start once again, this time completing a full seven innings with eight total strikeouts against 31 faced batters. The Bulldogs would put up three runs in the bottom of the second to initially put the pressure on the Tigers and Ernsberger, but an offensive rally at the halfway point of the contest swung momentum back in favor of Dakota Wesleyan as Perkins would put up three runs on a home run to right-center field. The Tigers took the lead over the Bulldogs in the top of the sixth, as a sacrifice fly from Lydia Yost would get Ashlen Johnson across home plate before a single from Kassidy Lopez and an error on Ciurca's at-bat would extend the score to 6-3.
The second game of the day would be similar to the second contest of the doubleheader from the day before, as a strong initial showing from the offense and subsequent shutout from the defense would result in a run-rule victory in favor of Dakota Wesleyan. Johnson opened the scoring effort with a two-RBI single to center field before an explosive third inning would quickly put the contest out of reach, as Moore recorded a three-RBI homer at the beginning of the frame and would record a second home run in the same inning with a bases-loaded grand slam, totaling seven RBIs in just two at-bats. Elle Feser would also record a two-RBI home run to add two more to the scoreboard, while Perkins and Yost would record singles to extend DWU's lead to 13-0 at the end of the third inning. Draper and Grace Ortmeier added two more runs to the lead in the top of the fifth to move the final score to 15-0 following the run-rule finish. Nachtigall earned her ninth win of the season on the mound with one strikeout, four recorded hits, and zero earned runs in five pitched innings. The Tigers close the road trip with a 24-11 overall record and sit atop the GPAC with a 7-1 record in conference play.
DWU Softball will be back in action at home on Wednesday, April 1st, against Briar Cliff in a GPAC doubleheader. See the full 2026 schedule here.