NWU Sports
Alex Linden, Sports Information Director
LINCOLN – Kailey Meyer and Jessie Briley both pitched complete game 1-hit shutouts as the Nebraska Wesleyan softball team opened Iowa Conference play with a pair of impressive 8-0 victories over Wartburg College on Friday afternoon (March 30) at University Place Park in Lincoln, Neb.
NWU scored all eight runs in the bottom of the 5th inning of game one to end the game due to the run rule. The Prairie Wolves opened game two with five runs in the 1stinning then cruised to another run rule game to complete the sweep.
Meyer was the story of game one as she struck out six and allowed only one hit to improve to 9-2 on the season. Meyer walked just batter and allowed a single to finish two batters away from a perfect game.
The Prairie Wolves were also held scoreless through the first four innings before breaking out in the 5th. NWU recorded seven straight hits with one out to bring in four runs, then a hit batter and walk also scored a run. The game ended with Morgan Shipley hitting into a fielders choice that drove in a run. Maddy Ethen had an RBI double as the only extra base hit in the big inning as all other hits were singles.
NWU finished with 12 total hits as four players had multi-hit games. Nicole Vana was a perfect 3-3 with an RBI. Danelle Snyder, Maddy Ethen and Katie Stanzel each had two hits in the victory.
Briley was just as effective on the mound in game two as she struck out six, walked only one and gave up just the one run in the victory. Only three Wartburg runners got past first base.
At the plate, the Prairie Wolves scored five runs in the bottom of the 1st to jump on the Knights early. They had four hits in the inning with Payton Swanson getting an RBI single. Vana, Ethen and Stanzel also had singles in the first frame.
Meyer hit an RBI single in the bottom of the 2nd inning as the Prairie Wolves scored two more runs to take a 7-0 lead. The final run came in the 3rd inning when Shipley scored on a ground out by Snyder.
Nebraska Wesleyan finished game two with nine total hits as they out hit Wartburg 21-2 on the day.