Softball drops two in season opener

Pittsburg, KS – The Reivers opened their softball season Tuesday dropping a pair to Crowder College.  Iowa Western had a rough start to the season, committing five errors in the first two innings that led to ten Crowder runs. 

Emily Jacobs homered in her first two at bats of the season to cut the lead 10-2.  In the fourth, the Reivers got three back again slicing into the lead 10-5.  Alyssa Maldonado led off the sixth with walk and Lily Gregory drove her in with a double to the fence.  After a strike out, Tyla Lee doubled home Gregory, and Lee would later score on an error to cut the lead 10-8.  A base running miscue ended the threat and the Reivers never got any closer losing the game 11-8.

Michaela Epp threw the ball well in relief, holding Crowder to one run over three innings to give Iowa Western a chance to get back in the ballgame. 

In game two, it was more of the same for the Reivers.  A dropped fly ball extended a three run second inning for Crowder.  Lily Gregory would drive in two runs in the fourth for IWCC to make it a 3-2 game.  However, Crowder would run away with the game scoring three runs in the fourth and four runs in the fifth aided by two Reiver errors and a wild pitch that scored a run. 

"Obviously this wasn't the season opener we'd hoped for but I saw a lot of good things that we did," said Head Coach Ben Greer.  "The defensive mistakes are things we can clean up when we start getting outside as the spring continues.  You hate being 0-2 and look the way we did at times but I'm really excited to watch this group grow.  They have a lot of intangibles that I like and I think we'll get tougher and tougher as the season moves forward."

Iowa Western is back at it on Saturday against #17 NEO A&M.