SIOUX CENTER, Iowa — Dakota Wesleyan Softball traveled to the American State Bank Sports Complex to square off against the 23rd-ranked Northwestern Red Raiders to open GPAC competition.
The Tigers opened the doubleheader with a solid stretch of hitting from the top of the lineup, leading to Dakota Wesleyan scoring the first run as Macy Moore would knock a single to center field to send Lydia Yost home. Northwestern responded in the top of the third with a pair of scores, but the defense and pitching effort were able to lock down the Red Raiders for the next few frames. Mandalyn Nachtigall threw another complete game, striking out five batters in the 34 she faced on 124 total pitches, ultimately earning her seventh win of the season on the mound, putting her fourth overall in the conference so far for total wins. Dakota Wesleyan was able to reclaim the lead off a dominant third and fourth inning, scoring seven runs in total between the two frames. Ashlen Johnson was able to knock a double to right field and get to third base after the throw to home to beat Moore, while Avery Perkins would follow it up with a sacrifice fly to left field to get Johnson across home plate. A grounder from Kassidy Lopez in the fourth was able to get Dusti Draper home before the Tigers would rattle off four more runs, as Moore and Johnson recorded more RBIs, while Perkins once again sent a strong knock to left field to get the eighth run on the board for the Tigers. Northwestern earned a final run in the top of the sixth, but the defense ultimately shut Northwestern out, winning the first game 8-3. The contest marks the first career ranked win for first-year head coach Stephen Oswald Jr.
The second contest of the series saw Northwestern's offense kick into gear, as they were able to get runs on the board early. On the mound, Keirstyn Krcil tallied two strikeouts in 2.1 innings pitched, while Alison Ernsberger helped slow down the Red Raider offense in relief through 2.2 innings pitched, but the initial burst from Northwestern was able to keep them ahead for the entirety of the contest. The Tigers recorded four total hits during the second game, including two from Moore, but the performance from the NWC defense kept the DWU scoring unit from heating back up. The game would only last five innings as Northwestern crossed the eight-run threshold in the top of the fifth to end the game early, 8-0. Following the two-game series, DWU moves to 18-11 on the year and starts the conference slate with a 1-1 GPAC record.
DWU Softball will be back in action on Saturday, March 21st, for the team's home opener, along with Kids Day. See the full 2026 schedule here.