Council Bluffs, IA
Sometimes, all you need is to sleep in your own bed.
After lengthy early-season road trips for Iowa Western Softball, the opening homestand couldn't have come at a better time for Head Coach Ben Greer's fifth team in Council Bluffs.
A sweep of Ellsworth led into four more games against ICCAC opponents at home starting with North Area Iowa on Friday at the Reiver Sports Complex. The Reivers rallied to tie the game at 2-2 in the third as Rebecca Barnett doubled home Natalie Gunn before she came home on a passed ball. Barnett would put the Reivers ahead in the fourth, singling home Jessica Strandlund to put the home team ahead 3-2. A tie was short-lived after NIACC knotted the game at 3-3 in the fifth, Aujenai Gregory tripled to put the Reivers back in front as Katriana Bain scored the go-ahead run. Madeline Layman would score A.J. with an RBI single and come in to score when Chloe Brown doubled to deep left. Gunn's RBI single to score Strandlund capped off the scoring in the 7-3, game one, win. Julie Katz earned her sixth win of the season in a complete game, 10-strikeout, performance. Gunn led the Reivers from the top of the lineup again, going 4 for 4, while Strandlund added a pair of runs for the home team.
Game two would be blown open by the Reivers in the second inning. Layman plated Gregory and Strandlund with a double and scored on an error by the Panthers' third baseman as Gunn reached base on the play. The sophomore centerfielder scored from second on a Barnett double after collecting one of her two steals on the day. The five-run inning was capped when Barnett scored on another error by the Trojans in the inning. The one big inning would be all that Brook Melnychuk would need for her 2nd win of the season. The freshman threw five strong innings, allowing only three hits and striking out 11 visiting batters. The victory was clinched with a four-run fourth, started with Melnychuk sac-fly. Strandlund and Gregory both hit RBI-doubles in the inning, with Gregory driving in a pair on the last scoring play of the game.
Saturday, the Reivers continued to find ways to score when Northeast took residence in the visitor's dugout. Five different Reivers collected RBIs, led by Barnett's three-run triple and Madysen Kim scored three times. IWCC scored in every inning but the fourth in an 8-0 five-inning win. Katz didn't allow a hit in four innings of work and Avery Doucet wrapped up the game with an inning of work.
The Reivers started like a house on fire in game two of the day, plating three first-inning runs. The distribution of RBIs continued with Strandlund leading the way with three in a 3-for-4 performance. The freshman shortstop was a homer shy of hitting for the cycle in the game. Melnychuck and Doucet combined for an eight-strikeout performance, allowing a non-consequential run late in the 9-1, six-inning victory. Melnychuk has now won three straight games after missing the win column earlier in the season.
The Reivers wrapped up their week on the road in North Platte, Nebraska. The Reivers opened game one of the doubleheader with three straight singles by Gunn, Barnett, and Bain. All three Reivers would score before the end of the inning as the Knights got a 1-3 putout to end the top half. IWCC would build a 5-0 lead before North Platte would strike for three of their own runs in the bottom of the third. That would be all the home team could muster as Katz battled for a complete-game win. The sophomore recorded only five strikeouts in the outing, below her season average of 7.65 per seven innings pitched.
The road trip wrapped up with a no-hit, tag-team effort in the circle as Melnychuk and Doucet combined to blank North Platte in the hit column. The duo combined to limit the home-standing Knights to just three baserunners overall, while the Reivers exploded offensively. Gregory drove in five, three on her third homer of the season in the second inning. The Reivers posted crooked numbers in the first, second and third inning before cruising to a 12-0, five-inning win. The win was the ninth straight for the team and improved their overall mark to 12-14 on the year.
Iowa Western has moved its games with Southeast from Saturday (3/14) to Friday (3/13) to avoid forecasted inclement weather. Game times are 1 pm and 3 pm from the Reiver Sports Complex on campus in Council Bluffs.
Follow the latest from the team on Facebook https://www.facebook.com/IWCCsoftball, Twitter https://twitter.com/ReiverSoftball, and Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/reiversoftball/
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