PHOENIX, Ariz. – The Dakota Wesleyan University softball team has already won the fourth most games in program history and the Great Plains Athletic Conference season has yet to open. DWU ran into a strong Arizona Christian University squad on the final day of the Tigers' annual trip to the desert.
DWU fell behind early and was unable to recover in a 7-1 loss in game one. The Tigers looked to be in control in the finale, up 3-0 heading to the fifth, but the Firestorm responded with two in the fifth, while a three-run home run in the seventh gave the home team a walk-off 6-3 victory.
The losses drop DWU to 15-11 overall, heading in the start of GPAC play at home Wednesday.
Junior Lorissa Loeppky (Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada) took the loss in game one, allowing six runs, four earned on seven hits, while walking three and striking out three in three and two thirds innings. Loeppky is now 4-4 on the season.
Sophomore Paige Kinley (Worthington, Minn.) drove in the lone Tiger run with a home run to center field in the third inning. Kinley finished the game 3-for-3 with a double to go along with her home run.
DWU had one run on five hits and four errors in the game one loss.
Freshman starting pitcher Hallie Misiaszek (Mitchell, S.D.) came into game two on the heels of back-to-back shutout wins. She made it through four innings of scoreless work against ACU, which scored a pair of runs in the fifth to snap Misiaszek's 16-inning scoreless streak. She is now 4-2 on the season after allowing six runs, five earned on seven hits, while walking three and striking out four.
The Firestorm scored four in the bottom of the seventh, including a walk-off three-run home run from Kylie Christman.
DWU took the early lead with a two-run home run from freshman Sierra Haage (Sioux Falls, S.D.) in the first inning, while freshman Claudia Nixon (Shaunavon, Saskatchewan, Canada) drove in the third run in the third inning to give DWU a 3-0 lead.
The Tigers finished game two with three runs on six hits and four errors.
DWU opens GPAC play against Briar Cliff University at 5 p.m. Wednesday at McWhirter Field in Mitchell, S.D.