DUBUQUE, Iowa - The Luther softball team continued its perfect 4-0 start in American Rivers Conference play with a sweep of Dubuque on Tuesday. The Norse defeated the Spartans 7-0 in game one followed by a 10-2 victory in five innings. Luther improves their record to 19-5 overall and 4-0 in the A-R-C.
Game 1: Luther 7, Dubuque 0
In the top of the second,
Anna Forari drove in the first run for the Norse with her RBI double into right field. The two teams were held scoreless until Luther snagged a run in the fifth with an RBI from
Abby Spore for a 2-0 lead.
Then the Norse would have a big seventh inning. With the bases loaded, Spore knocked it deep into left center field clearing the bases.
Raven Allen reached on an error earning the RBI as another run came across the plate. Chloe Wager followed with an RBI double bringing the score to 7-0. The Luther defense shut down Dubuque in the bottom of the seventh to claim victory.
Olivia Engler pitched another complete game and is now 12-3 overall. She gave up six hits, three walks and recorded two strikeouts.
Spore led the team with four RBI going 2-4 at the plate. Wagner was also 2-4 with one run and one RBI.
Game 2: Luther 10, Dubuque 2 (5 inn.)
The Spartans went up by one in the second for an early lead but the Norse would respond in the third.
Teagan Hansen laid down the sac bunt that allowed
Madi Urfer to come home knotting the game at one.
In the fourth, Luther captured the lead scoring three runs on four hits. The Norse hitters rattled off four straight hits from Wagner,
Delaney Martinez-Wilson, Urfer and Hansen for a 4-1 advantage.
The Norse offense was busy again in the fifth driving in six runs on seven hits. Martinez-Wilson, Hansen,
Ken Vavrichek, and
Riley Sauser all were credited with RBI as Luther leaped out to a 10-1 lead. The Spartans would score a run in the bottom half of the inning by
Izzy Staton and the defense closed the door.
Cyrah Rasmussen pitched four innings giving up five hits, one run, three walks and tallied three strikeouts. Staton came in relief in the fifth. In her one inning of work allowed three hits and one run in five batters faced.
Vavrichek was 2-4 with three RBI, one run, one double and one stolen base. Urfer was 3-3 with three runs. Martinez-Wilson was 2-3 with one run, three RBI and two doubles.
Luther is now on a 10-game win streak.
UP NEXT
Luther returns home to host Nebraska Wesleyan for a doubleheader on Saturday, April 13. First pitch will be at 1 p.m. in Decorah, Iowa. The 1974 softball team will be honored with their induction into the Luther Athletics Hall of Fame.
