Waldorf softball wins home opener, drops final two in tripleheader

By: Zach Throne

The Waldorf  softball team won one of three games during their home opener at Warriors Field in a North Star Athletic Association bout with Dickinson State.

The Warriors took the first game, the first home game in nearly two years, 6-4. They lost the last two games by scores of 13-1 (5 innings) and 13-12.

Coming out ready to go, the Warriors took a 1-0 lead in the first inning after Lauren Hein walked in a run.

The game continued in back-and-forth fashion as the teams kept battling all the way until Blaney Markman broke the tie of 4-4 with a two-run double that eventually won the game for the Warriors.

Karlee Leyvas received the win for the Warriors after pitching a complete game.

“It felt great to notch the first home win of my Waldorf career,” said sophomore catcher Bree Hamblin.

The first two innings of the second game looked like a repeat of game one. Then the Blue Hawks broke the game open with a 7-run third inning to a take an 8-1, leading to a win in five innings, 13-1.

Peyton Arenson went 3-3 during game two and Payge Jurgens hit a solo home run for the Warriors only run of the game.

Game three became the most exciting game of the day after Jurgens launched a grand slam after being down two runs, 5-3, in the bottom of the fifth.

The Blue Hawks quickly tied it in the top of the sixth, but Waldorf put up a five spot in the bottom half after Arenson hit a bases-clearing 3-run double, followed by a 2-run homer by Ursula Del Campo, making a 12-7 Warriors advantage.

The Warriors just could not close out the game, though, as the Blue Hawks scored 6 runs in the top of the seventh inning.

Waldorf could not recover from the Dickinson State rally as they did not score any runs in the bottom half in a 13-12 loss.

“The girls have been working their butts off,” said strength coach Drew Christianson, “It was nice to see them pull out that first game against a good Dickinson State team.”

After going 1-2 on the day, Waldorf moved to 4-13 overall while Dickinson State moved to 12-10.

The Warriors play against the Blue Hawks again tomorrow at Warriors Field in a single-game affair.