The Duhawk softball season came to an abrupt end this past weekend in the Iowa Conference tournament. Coach Ashley Rogers says she will take a lot from this season, even though the Duhawks sported a sub-.500 record.

“Overall, I thought we had a good season,” said coach Ashley Rogers. “Each year we are getting more and more competitive within the Iowa Conference.”

Senior Kelsey Techlin player her last season in style, breaking the Loras single-season stolen base record of 23.

Sophomore Kelly Klein also was another key player for the Duhawks, posting eight wins on the mound and also crushing clutch home runs. The season is over, but the future looks bright is players like Klein continue their success.

In the first game of the tournament against Simpson, the story of the game was told with the top of Loras’ batting order. The first three hitters for Loras accounted for three of the Duhawks’ four runs. Loras took the victory in this game, 4-2.

The elation of victory was short-lived, however, as Loras lost the next two games by a combined score of 15-1. After a fast start, the Duhawks seemed to lose steam as they ran into the number-one ranked team in the tournament, Luther College, in their second game.

The Norse proved to be too much for Loras. Luther’s Lexy Determan propelled her team to victory as she has done all season. Determan added another win to her resume, totaling 20 on the season, with only two losses on the end. Determan dominated the Duhawks, striking out 11.

Loras barely got a breather before they took on the Rams of Cornell. Going into the game it seemed Loras was the favorite, seeded No. 5 in the Iowa Conference against Cornell’s sixth-place ranking, but the rankings proved to be irrelevant.

Again, the Duhawk offense seemed out of synch as the Rams held them to one run, and really kept the Duhawk bats at bay.

All-in-all it has been a great season for the Duhawks they seem ready for next year already. Coach Rogers is already looking ahead.

“Next season our goal will be the same: improve each day. We saw a lot of great improvements this year, and we want to continue that trend,” said Rogers. “The 2012 season is already underway and we need to start preparing for it now in the off-season.”

The Duhawks flapped their wings to four straight wins this past weekend, enabling them to secure a berth in the Iowa Conference Tournament.

Loras had a great offensive and defensive weekend as it outscored Wartburg and Grinnell by a combined score of 37-5, much to the delight of Coach Ashley Rogers.

“It was great to see the Duhawks play well this weekend. We saw a lot of great things offensively with multiple players stepping up and driving in runs,” said Rogers. “I thought all of our pitchers did a great job, we had 4 different pitchers earn wins this weekend.”

Overall it was a fantastic streak of games for the Duhawks. The team improved their record to 16-21 overall, including their 7-9 record in the IIAC on the season. Their record in the Iowa Conference was good enough to earn them a fifth-place finish in the conference.

Loras started the weekend strong with the bats, beating Wartburg 10-0 in five innings. Sophomore pitcher Kellie Klein gave up just three hits while sophomore Katelyn Jones exploded at the plate by driving in five runs.

Wartburg began the second game with a two run home run which made the probability of a sweep look bleak early on. Solo home runs by Kellie Klein for Loras and Ashley Bienemann for the Knights had the Duhawks down one run going into the sixth inning. But a lead-off double by senior Deanna Angelini and five additional hits enabled the Duhawks to rally for the win.

This past Sunday was Senior Day. The six seniors who were recognized for their great play and dedication to the team were Deanna Angelini, Tracy Sullivan, Kelsey Techlin, Michelle Sabatini, Sara Palczynski and Ashley Reimer. They will hope to continue their collegiate careers for as long as they can as they enter their final Iowa Conference action as players.

“All six have had an outstanding career at Loras.  They have contributed so much to the softball program and Loras College,” said Rogers.

On senior day against Grinnell, Loras was pushed to victory by stellar pitching, propelling the Duhawks to an undefeated weekend. Senior pitcher Michelle Sabatini allowed just three hits throughout the contest, and the Duhawks scored each inning as they beat Grinnell 11-2 in the first game. The offense was powered by senior Sara Palczynski, who she went 3-fo-3 from the plate and belted a home run.

Grinnell used the same starting pitcher for game two, and that alone helped Loras finish the weekend sweep, as they won 8-0, with every batter in the Loras line-up collected a hit.

The Duhawks are primed to enter the conference tournament ready to win and improve on their four game winning streak. As the fifth seed in the conference tournament they will face number four seeded Simpson College today.

It could be a tough game for Loras, which lost to Simpson both times the two teams met earlier this season, with a combined score of 13-3. If the Duhawks are going to be successful, they will look to the seniors for leadership, Rogers added.

After splitting with cross town rival, University of Dubuque, the Duhawk softball team was ready to get over the five hundred hump in the IIAC against Central, but the task proved to be tough.

Coach Ashley Rogers talked about what her team needed to do going into the important games against Central.

“We knew Central was going to run a lot as well as use the short game; therefore, we wanted to have a strong day defensively,” said Rogers. “When you play teams like Central, who is ranked 3^rd in the NFCA polls, you can’t afford to have any mistakes.”

Central played like their ranking says, winning both games with a combined score of 9 to 1, but Rogers did like some aspects of the game that the Duhawks did in the two games.

“I thought our pitchers did a great job of containing Central’s offense,” said Rogers. “We kept many of their big hitters off base and forced the rest of their line-up to get key hits.”

In both games each pitcher for the Duhawks went all seven innings, and together Senior Michelle Sabatini and first-year Stephanie Popvich only gave up seven earned runs of the total nine runs.

It seems defense has been a picky point for the Duhawks this year, but coach Rogers poised that the problem will be taken care of.

“Defensively we will continue to work on communication and trust,” said Rogers. “We need to work on getting more timely hits.  We stranded a lot of base runners this weekend.”

The Duhawks look to clean it up as they head into more Iowa Conference games as they finish off a moved game from earlier in the season tonight against Cornell and then welcome the University of Wisconsin-Stout before they head back into conference play.

After starting 3-1 in conference, the Duhawks were ready to continue their great play in the IIAC, but instead were engulfed by the Simpson Storm this past weekend in the doubleheader.

Coach Ashley Rogers has stated in the past that getting off to a strong start in the conference was key for the team, and it looked good with a 2-0 start, but Loras sat with a 3-3 record in the IIAC going into yesterday’s games against the University of Dubuque.

The Duhawks looked ready to continue their good performance against Simpson, the Storm presented a tough challenge for the Duhawks, as they stand undefeated in the Iowa Conference.

At first-look it seems that the Duhawks were simply outplayed by the Storm in the first game, but mistakes in the field attributed to the Duhawks hurting themselves.

The Storm rained down runs, posting an intimidating 9 runs on the scoreboard, but five errors committed by the Loras fielders led to 7 unearned runs in the game.

Simpson’s pitching was nothing short of fantastic as its hurlers surrendered just one hit and one unearned run to Loras.

“There were a lot of little mistakes during the first game,” said Klein. “But I think the team learned from it and we will bounce back and be a stronger team from it.”

The second game would come down to the wire for the Duhawks as they would leave runners in scoring position, losing the game 4-2.

The pitching for the game again kept the Duhawks fooled at the plate, but some players like sophomore Shelby Perkins, who went 2-3, found some success.

“We connected well hitting the ball, but we just couldn’t find the holes in the defense,” said Perkins. “The pitcher’s off-speed pitches also threw us off a little.”

Loras collected one run from senior Sara Palczynski on her third home run of the season, and then back-to-back singles by Perkins and Beth Miller gave the Duhawks their second run, before ending the rally on a groundout to the shortstop with runners on second and third.

Palczynski’s homer came with no one on base, however, and the Storm won, 4-2, to keep the team undefeated in the conference.

“Things never seem to go as planned. That is why we continue to take things one game at a time and focus on the present,” said Rogers. “When you look back or look ahead, you miss the opportunity that is right in front of you.”

The softball team told the Buena Vista Beavers to build their dams elsewhere this past weekend.

BV clashed with Loras to kick off the Iowa Conference season, and the Duhawks won both games of a doubleheader Saturday.

In sports there is a saying, “Each day, you either get better, or you get worse.” The Duhawks kicked it into gear against Buena Vista, and showcased some of the focus that Coach Ashley Rogers has been preaching about.

“We will continue to focus each day on getting better in all facets of the game,” Rogers said.

In the first game of the doubleheader, it was the Kellie Klein show. The sophomore was pounding the strike zone and putting pressure on Buena Vista’s hitters.

Klein struck out seven Beavers over eight innings, and the two runs that BV scored were unearned.

Despite Klein’s heroics, the most exciting time of the game belonged to catcher Tracy Sullivan, as she stepped up to the plate with a teammate on base in the bottom of the eighth inning.

Her bat came alive as she delivered a walk-off home run over the right-field fence, giving Loras a 4-2 extra-inning win.

It was just what the Duhawks wanted out of their first conference action of the season, but they knew they still had business to finish in the second game.

In the second game of the doubleheader, the Duhawk offense woke up and routed BV, 10-1, in five innings. Loras scored 10 runs on 10 hits in four innings.

The top of the order set the table in the second game, as sophomore leadoff hitter Beth Miller, who was 2-for-2, and senior Kelsey Techlin, got things rolling. And the middle of the lineup took advantage of their opportunities, especially senior Sara Palczynski, who was 3-for-3 and drove in four runs for the Duhawks.

The pitching was equally good, as first-year hurler Stephanie Popovich scattered three hits over five innings while surrendering just one run.

Jim Naprstek

Sophomore pitcher Kellie Klein winds up against a Buena Vista batter during the opening weekend of the Iowa Conference regular season. Klein threw eight strong innings, allowing just two unearned runs, while striking out seven batters, to help Loras to a 4-2 victory over Buena Vista in the first game of Saturday’s doubleheader. In the nightcap, Loras trounced the Beavers, 10-1.

On Tuesday, the Duhawks traveled to Cedar Rapids for a doubleheader against Coe College, and they knew Coe would be a handful. Coe came into the twinbill with an impressive 20-5 overall record.

The Duhawks lost the first game, 5-3, but they rebounded with a 6-2 victory in the nightcap.

The split gives Loras and Coe identical 3-1 records in Iowa Conference play. Miller said the team was looking to kick it into an extra gear against a tough team like Coe.

“We were very well prepared and stuck to our approach for the games. We had offense in the beginning of game one and couldn’t finish,” said Miller. “In the second game, we put the ball in play and made them make errors. We have high expectations for this team, so we wanted to sweep Coe, but coming away with a split is a great feeling, too, and there will be many more wins to come.”

The Duhawks now have a 9-12 overall record. After struggling early in the non-conference season, they now have won seven of their past 10 games.

Loras now will go travel for doubleheaders against Simpson, Eureka and the University of Dubuque. The twinbill against rival UD will begin at 3 p.m. Wednesday.

Jim Naprstek | My Duhawk

If winning none is bad, then winning two has to be better.

The softball team beat its crosss-town rival, Clarke University, on Friday, then split with Carthage College during a doubleheader Loras hosted Sunday.

Itwas the Duhawks’ first action since coming back from their spring break trip to Florida. The Duhawks compiled a 2-6 record in Florida, but Coach Ashley Rogers liked what she saw from her team.

“Overall, I thought we learned a lot about our team,” she said. “We played tough competition that challenged us to be at our best at all times.”

The team is still working to shake off the early-season miscues that every team goes through. Rogers emphasized that discipline will be crucial.

“Even with the mistakes we made, we were still able to compete with high-level teams,” said Rogers. “Once we clean up our mistakes, great things will happen for the Duhawks.

“I have high expectations for the Duhawks,” Rogers continued. “Consistency will be key for our team this year, consistently playing at the high level we are capable of and accepting nothing less.”

Friday’s game against Clarke University went into extra innings after the two teams played to a scoreless tie after seven innings. But the Duhawks broke the game open in a big way, scoring eight runs in the eighth inning en route to their 8-0 victory.

Both of Loras’ games against Carthage had dramatic endings. The first game against Carthage was tied at 2 apiece after seven innings, but this time the Duhawks lost, 4-2, in eight innings. Then in the second game, with the score knotted at 4 in the bottom of the seventh inning, sophomore Kellie Klein stepped up to the plate with a runner on.

Klein dug her cleats in and belted a towering 2-run home run to right- center, winning the game in walk-off fashion, lifting the Duhawks to a 6-4 victory.
The other hero of the second game was senior catcher Tracy Sullivan, who had four hits in the game, including a home run. She scored two runs and drove in two others.

The first game of the doubleheader was a pitchers’ duel, as both teams’ pitchers combining for a whopping 21 strikeouts. The Duhawks managed just five hits while scoring their two runs, while Carthage scattered 12 hits during the game.

Sophomore Katelyn Jones had two hits for the Duhawks and drove in a run.

But Carthage first-year Bryanna Heckel had an outstanding game, going a perfect 5-for-5. Heckel’s fifth hit of the game clipped the wings off the Duhawks, as she drove in the two eighth-inning runs that turned out to be the difference.

The Duhawks would be going into the other game of the double-header down one game.

The Duhawks will travel to the University of Wisconsin-Platteville for a doubleheader today prior to returning home for a doubleheader against Iowa Conference foe Buena Vista on Saturday.

The softball team flew south over Spring Free Days to prepare for their fast-approaching conference season.

The Duhawks compiled a 2-6 record in Florida, and coach Ashley Rogers thinks the cross-country trip was just what the team needed.

“Overall, I thought we learned a lot about our team on (the trip),” she said. “We played tough competition that challenged us to be at our best at all times. ”

While finding success, the team will still have to shake off the early-season struggles that every team goes through. Rogers emphasized discipline will ultimately help the Duhawks through the season.

“Even with the mistakes we made, we were still able to compete with high level teams,” she said. “Once we clean up our mistakes great things will happen for the Duhawks.”

Helping the Duhawks to victory in Florida was catcher Tracy Sullivan and outfielder Beth Miller, who are both hitting over .400 on the season thus far. The Duhawks will look to add the consistency emphasized by Rogers as they begin conference play. Loras will be defending their IIAC regular-season championship.

Loras begins their conference schedule April 2 against Buena Vista. Follow their progress on duhawks.com.

The softball team will soon be packing up their bags and equipment and heading down to Florida for four days of softball action and to enjoy some sunny weather.

But the team will be all about business on the trip as they hope to come back with several wins under their belts to make up for the lone win they collected  out of four games this past weekend.

The team opened up the season playing Gustavus Adolphus in Rochester, Minnesota this past Friday, winning the first game 7-6. The team played again later in the day but lost 9-1 to Gustavus Adolphus.

The Duhawks faced the University of Wisconsin-La Crosse the next day, but could not connect for another win as they fell in a shutout in the first game 4-0, and then lost 6-4 in the second.

Although the team did not start the season how they might have liked to, coach Ashley Rogers feels confident in the team’s early performances.
“We played against some very good competition, Gustavus Adolphus is a very strong program and UW-La Crosse is currently ranked 21st on the NCAA list of the top 25 teams in Division III softball” says Rogers.

Coming away with only one win on the weekend did not seem to be bothersome to the players either as senior infielder Sara Palczynski feels that the opening four games are nothing to worry about.

“We were constantly putting the ball into play and making the other defense work,” said Palczynski. “We had a lot of first-years step up, two first-year pitchers got some time on the mound as well as a few first-years as pinch runners.”

The team will now focus their attention to their trip to Clermont, FL, where they will play eight different teams from across the nation, ranging from Chicago to Rhode Island.

There is a lot of excitement in the air as the team travels south of the Mason Dixon line to show off their talent.

Playing in an out-of-state tournament puts added pressure on them to do well, but the Duhawks believe that there is even more to come out of the trip such as building team unity and character.

“It is a great week for us girls,” said Palczynski. “We get the chance to room together, bond, and really get to know each other. Florida is where we really become a family.”

Palczynski feels that the pressure is defused during this trip with the lack of information they know about their opponents compared to their in-conference opponents.

“By playing out of state and other teams from across the nation the pressure is actually decreased,” said Palczynski. “When we face the teams from the Iowa conference we know so much about them and we know what to expect.”

The softball team struggled late last spring after a strong start to the season, so Coach Ashley Rogers and the Duhawks are eager to prove their mettle.

With a solid mix of upper and underclassmen, Rogers expects Loras to put up more wins late in the season and go deep in the Iowa Conference Tournament.

But first, the team has to prove itself early in the season and improve from there.

“Last season was a step in the right direction for the Duhawks; we saw steady improvement each day,” Rogers said. “We hope to continue that improvement to build upon last season’s efforts. The experience and leadership we return to the team should prove to be very beneficial.”

Last year, the Duhawks won eight of their first 12 games. But Loras lost 11 of its final 16 games, including its two games in the postseason tournament.

Rogers thinks the schedule might have contributed to the late-season struggles.

“With our heavy April schedule and a key injury at the end of the year, I think we were physically and mentally tired toward the end of our season,” she said. “This year, our schedule is much more balanced which should help.”

There is no ‘I’ in team on any sport, especially on the Duhawks’ softball team, Rogers said.

“We expect each member of the Duhawk softball team to contribute positively to the team this year. We anticipate sophomore pitcher/infielder Kellie Klein and senior catcher Tracy Sullivan to lead the way.”

Sullivan had a strong season both at the plate and behind it. She finished the season with an impressive .402 slugging average and was equally impressive throwing out opposing baserunners.

Klein posted an impressive 2.37 earned-run-average and won 12 games. She and senior pitcher Michelle Sabatini will be counted on to lead the Duhawks from the mound.

Boasting solid pitching and catching is a good reason to optimistic. But the Duhawks say their offseason preparation should pay dividends.

“As a team, we worked very hard in the offseason to improve our techniques so we can compete in the Iowa Conference,” Sullivan said. “We did our off season workouts in the weight room, we had practices every Monday to improve our skills. I am excited to see our hard work and dedication pay off in the upcoming season.”

Loras returns a number of players from last year’s squad, but one player who will be awfully hard to replace is Michelle Bahl, who graduated last spring.She not only had a lofty .308 batting average, she also hit smacked nine home runs and drove in 28 runs.

Nonetheless, Rogers and the Duhawks know that a little improvement from everyone will enable the team to overcome the loss of one player.

The Duhawks kick off their new season this weekend with a pair of doubleheaders in Rochester, MN, prior to a Spring Break trip to Florida in which eight games are scheduled from March 16 through March 20.