MITCHELL, S.D. — Dakota Wesleyan Softball hosted the Mount Marty Lancers in an evening GPAC rivalry doubleheader at Dr. McWhirter Field.
Game one would see the Tigers jump out to a blazing start thanks to an RBI single from the third batter in the order, Liliana Arreola, before Avery Perkins made her presence immediately known with a three-run homer to give DWU an early 4-0 lead. With the home run, Perkins is tied as the team leader for DWU home runs with seven alongside Jaycee Tebay, who hit her seventh in the bottom of the sixth inning to extend DWU's lead further, reaching a 7-1 scoreline before the final frame. While she would not record an RBI, Jordyn Blogg would lead the Tigers with two hits on the day to help load the bases for the day's big hitters. In the circle, Alison Ernsberger earned her 13th win of the season with nine strikeouts in 6.1 innings pitched as the defense continued to hold steady. A final spurt of offense from the Lancers closed the gap in the top of the sixth inning and would see Keirstyn Krcil close the first game of the doubleheader out in the top of the seventh. Ultimately, the senior Mitchell product prevented the MMU rally from seeing completion and would close out the game on the mound, giving the Tigers a 7-4 victory.
Both offenses would cool off in game two, as the first two innings of play would see both teams go scoreless. On the mound, Mandalyn Nachtigall led the way with eight recorded strikeouts in 5.1 innings pitched, eventually claiming her 13th win of the season as she continues to pace her teammate Ernsberger in the same category. Dakota Wesleyan would be the team to strike first as Arreola would knock one into left field to record an RBI single, sending Deanna Davidson home, before another home run from Perkins in the bottom of the fourth extended DWU's lead to 3-0 past the halfway point of the contest. Arreola would lead the team in hits in game two with two. At the same time, a handful of Tigers would record hits, including Macy Moore, Ashlen Johnson, and Davidson. The Tigers would face resistance in the fifth and sixth innings, as an RBI double and subsequent home run would bring the scoreline to 3-2, but a final homer in the bottom of the sixth from Blogg gave DWU an insurance run heading into the final inning of play. Ernsberger would close the game out in 1.2 innings pitched, tallying three strikeouts and recording her first save of the season to get the Tigers their second win of the day, 4-2. Dakota Wesleyan remains atop the GPAC with a conference record of 15-1 and sits at 32-11 overall, needing just a few more wins to match last season's historic total of 34.
DWU Softball will be back in action for Senior Day against Midland on Sunday, April 19th, starting at 1:00 PM, with festivities taking place between games. See the full 2026 schedule here.