Reiver Softball Claims Midwest District Title

COUNCIL BLUFFS, IA - For the just the 4th time in program history, Iowa Western Softball punched their ticket to the NJCAA D1 Softball National Tournament.  The Reivers (39-17) swept Crowder College (44-21) in the best-of-three series at the Dr. John & Jean Marshall Softball/Baseball Complex on Saturday afternoon.

Iowa Western's bats started off hot in game one when Mattea Martin hit a two-out single then was driven home on a double from Allie Cromer.  Cydnee Schneider followed with an RBI single of her own to give the Reivers an early 2-0 lead.  The team added four more in the bottom of the 2nd inning on a pair of 2-run home runs from Martin and Emma Hague to make it 6-0.

The Roughriders answered back in the top half of the 3rd, plating three runs on three singles and a 2-run double from Alaura Padgett.

That wouldn't keep the Reiver offense down, as they responded by sending 12 batters to the plate, scoring 7 runs on four hits, 2 walks, a hit-by-pitch, and an error by Bailey Ast at third base to take a ten run lead.  Crowder would get one back on a solo shot by Brook Beyer but it wasn't enough as Madeline McCall (12-6) went three up, three down in the fifth inning to shut the door to earn the 13-4 run-rule victory.

Game two took a little longer to get going offensively. The teams flipped and IWCC was the visiting team. Crowder starting pitcher Jensyn Elder gave up just one hit in the first two innings but faced the minimum after a double-play lineout by Alex Stoner.

The Reivers finally found their stride in the 3rd innning.  Alix Bailey led off with a walk then Hague folowed with a 1-out single to put runners at first and second.  Moira Baxter hit a ball to the Shortstop, Arene Landon-Lane but the freshman infielder threw the ball over the head of Jasmyn Myers at first base to score Bailey and put runners at the corners.  Ella Fitzpatrick walked to load the bases then after a Martin flyout to shallow left field, Allie Cromer stepped up and launched a grand slam over the left field wall to make it 5-0 IW.

The Reivers added two more in the 4th and one in the 7th with Hague hitting two more home runs on the day.

Starting Pitcher Erin Kirkland (9-5) dealt the entire game, tossing all 7 innings giving up just three hits, retiring 10 of the final 11 batters that she faced while striking out 7 Roughriders.

Emma Hague finished the day 4-6 with 3 home runs, 5 RBI and 4 runs scored.

Iowa Western now heads to the NJCAA D1 Softball National Tournament for the first time since 2013.  The six day tournament runs from May 20th to the 25th in Oxford, Alabama.