MITCHELL, S.D. – In the GPAC opening doubleheader for Concordia University, Nebraska Softball, a strong wind gusting out to left field in Mitchell, S.D., made it a difficult day to be a pitcher. The Bulldogs were victimized by a walk-off homer in game one (3-2 loss) on Saturday (March 22) before they bounced back to win a slugfest, 10-8, over Dakota Wesleyan in game two. Concordia ace pitcher Megan Eurich put forth a strong effort against the GPAC’s highest scoring offense and second baseman Hanna Bowers collected three doubles on the day.
Head Coach Brock Culler’s squad stands at 16-8 overall (1-1 GPAC). The trip to South Dakota marked the team’s first action since returning from the Tucson Invite in Arizona, where it went 7-1.
“Megs pitched really well and our defense played really well in game one,” Culler said. “I feel like we could have won that first game. We got struck out 13 times and we left too many baserunners out there. Getting out of this with a split is not the worst thing because they’re going to cause a lot of problems in the GPAC this year. That team can swing the bats.
“Coming out in game two the way we did in that first inning was awesome. We were two outs from that being a run rule and getting out there. Their offense picked up and it took everything we had to close that one out. Kaylei (Denison) threw really well and located her pitches.”
As described by Culler, the Bulldogs blitzed the Tigers from the jump in game one. Concordia paraded around the bases for four runs in the first, two in the second, three in the third and one in the fourth while building a 10-1 lead. Bowers starred with two doubles and three RBIs while Aubrianna Krieser notched two hits (one doubles) and drove in two. Jennifer Katz, Grace Maguire and Delanie Voshell also recorded two knocks as part of a 14-hit effort for the Bulldog lineup.
But no lead can be considered safe when up against a DWU team featuring many of the leagues top hitters, such as Peyton Bagley, Ashlen Johnson and McKinnely Mull. The Tigers (24-7, 5-1 GPAC) avoided the run rule in the bottom of the fifth when Sophie Wietzema cracked a two-run homer off Denison, making it a 10-4 score. Then in the seventh, Mull produced a two-run shot to draw DWU within 10-8. Eurich doused the fire by retiring the next three hitters to end the threat. Denison threw 5.1 innings and earned credit for the win.
The Gretna native Eurich covered all seven-plus innings of Saturday’s first game. The Tigers took a 2-0 lead in the bottom of the third before Concordia battled back with a Voshell RBI double in the fourth and a run in the seventh via a passed ball that scored Aubrey Bruning. Ultimately, DWU celebrated a victory when Johnson emerged with a walk-off home run in the bottom of the eighth. The Bulldogs were left to wonder what could have been after leaving two runners on base apiece in the first, fourth and seventh innings.
Concordia may not leave the yard with the frequency of DWU, but it has four players with nine or more doubles in 2025. Bowers pushed her season doubles total to 10 thanks to the three she posted on Saturday. As another positive, the Bulldogs committed just one error in the doubleheader.
Said Culler of Bowers, “Seems like every time she steps to the plate it’s a double. She’s seeing the ball real well … DWU is tough. They really are. The way they swing the bats, we really wanted to end that second game as soon as we could. Their bats picked up and they got some momentum. We brought Megs in to get a different look.”
The powerful Tiger lineup wound up with five homers (two apiece from Johnson and Mull) on Saturday. Game one pitcher Alison Ernsberger piled up 13 strikeouts while managing to work out of jams in a winning performance. DWU had already swept GPAC doubleheaders from Mount Marty and College of Saint Mary.
Another conference road doubleheader is coming up Wednesday when the Bulldogs will be in Hastings to take on the Broncos (14-12, 2-4 GPAC). First pitch from the Smith Softball Complex is scheduled for 4 p.m. CT. The two sides split a twin bill in Hastings last season.