Jamestown, Presentation fend off Waldorf in NSAA battles
By Matt Oliver
FOREST CITY – The Waldorf University softball team fell short in a pair of tightly-contested North Star Athletic Association (NSAA) matchups against the University of Jamestown and Presentation College on Saturday.
Jamestown (22-7, 7-2) escaped with a 5-2 win over the Warriors (7-19, 3-7) in the opener while Presentation (14-22, 2-8) held off Waldorf in a 12-9 victory during the final game of the day.
Sophomore Hattie Hupke led the Warriors in Game 1, turning in a 3-for-4 performance at the plate. Senior Jessica Abrahamson provided an RBI single, and senior Maggie Hawley also contributed a hit.
Rylee Perez keyed the Jimmies, going 2-for-4 with a double and a run-scoring single. Sydney Jeffers also added a pair of hits. Autumn Wang cranked a double and finished with two RBIs. Jamestown also received hits from Brittany Rheault, Linda Ontiveros, Sydney Greenlund and Emma Keller.
Rheault picked up the win. She notched eight strikeouts, issued three walks and yielded two runs (one earned) on five hits in a complete seven-inning outing.
Senior Andrea Hartmann (1-7) was handed the loss. She struck out one batter, walked two and allowed five runs (one earned) on nine hits in seven innings.
Wang put Jamestown on the board in the top of the first inning with an RBI sacrifice fly.
Abrahamson evened the score, singling in a run during Waldorf’s half of the first.
The Warriors claimed a 2-1 lead in the fourth when junior Brittani Sanchez crossed home plate following an error.
A four-run seventh inning lifted the Jimmies. In an inning that featured five hits, Perez tied the game with an RBI single. Perez and Jeffers scored on an error while Wang smacked an RBI double to give Jamestown a three-run advantage.
Rheault allowed one hit in the bottom of the seventh, but the Jimmies retired the side to secure the comeback victory.
Sophomore Taylor Bell paced the Warriors, going 3-for-3 with three RBIs in the loss to Presentation. Hupke collected a pair of singles and Hartmann went 1-for-4 with three RBIs. Senior Kaitlin Murphy contributed an RBI single, Hawley belted a double and junior Ashton May finished with a single.
Fourteen hits powered the Saints. Kassandra Orozco led the charge, going 3-for-5 with a double and two RBIs. Jaycee Herman provided a 3-for-4 performance that included a run-scoring single. Jacque Trost and Shelby Anderson each ripped two-run doubles while aiding Presentation with two hits apiece. Haylee Hemmert also finished with two hits.
Kayla Reynolds earned the win. She struck out one batter, walked one and gave up three runs (two earned) on three hits as she closed out the final one and two-thirds innings.
Ashlyn O’Keefe started inside the pitcher’s circle for the Saints. She exited with two strikeouts and seven walks after surrendering six runs (five earned) on six hits in five and one-third innings.
Sophomore Briley Sullivan (3-2) was hit with the loss. She struck out a batter, walked one and relinquished six runs (four earned) on four hits in the seventh inning.
Waldorf sophomore Kaylie Brindley worked the first six innings in the circle. She fanned one batter, issued two walks and allowed six runs (five earned) on 10 hits.
Hartmann gave the Warriors an early edge with an RBI single in the bottom of the first.
Waldorf built a three-run cushion in the second when Bell and Hartmann drew bases-loaded walks.
The Saints pulled to within one run in the third following a two-run double from Anderson.
Bell pushed in a run with a bunt single in the fourth and later scored on an error, boosting the Warriors to a 5-2 lead.
Presentation tied the game with three runs in the fifth. Amber Ewert delivered a two-run triple and provided the tying run when she came home on an error.
Murphy put Waldorf back on top, driving in a run with a sixth-inning single.
The Saints erupted for seven runs in the seventh. Orozco scored on an error, Megan Mendonca and Herman hit RBI singles, Trost doubled in two runs and Orozco added a run-scoring single to round out the offensive outburst.
The Warriors battled in their half of the seventh. Hawley got aboard with a one-out double and came home on an error. Bell cracked an RBI single, and Hartmann knocked in a run on a fielder’s choice as Waldorf’s rally fell short.
Looking to bounce back, the Warriors conclude the weekend on Sunday as they host the same two teams once again. Waldorf takes on Jamestown at 11 a.m. and faces Presentation at 3 p.m.