STORM LAKE, Iowa (April 26, 2022) - The Buena Vista softball team plays a pair of big doubleheaders this week as it continues its run at the program's first regular season conference title in over 25 years. The quest begins this evening with a road test at Nebraska Wesleyan.
THE MATCH-UP
Tuesday, April 26, 2022
Buena Vista (23-11, 7-5 A-R-C) @ Neb. Wesleyan (18-11, 6-6 A-R-C)
4:00 p.m. | Lincoln, Neb. | University Place Park
BROADCAST INFO
Video:
https://team1sports.com/nebwesleyan/
Stats:
https://nwusports.com/sidearmstats/softball/summary
LAST TIME OUT
The Beavers pulled off a big doubleheader sweep at home over Central College last Wednesday night. Game one turned into a marathon of a game with BVU scoring seven runs in the bottom of the sixth inning to go up 17-10 after the Dutch had rallied from a 10-5 deficit just a few innings earlier. Senior
Ashtyn Miller blasted three home runs in that game while
Chloe Wells hit two and
Savanna Pohlmann posted a grand slam. Nattie Murillo got in on the long ball parade in game two as BVU combined to hit seven round-trippers in the sweep. Those two wins came just a day after the Beavers came home with a doubleheader split at Simpson College, winning game one 6-4 and dropping the nightcap, 2-0.
ABOUT NEB. WESLEYAN
The Prairie Wolves stay right in the mix of a possible regular season championship after splitting a doubleheader at Coe College on Saturday afternoon. The team squeaked out a 4-3 victory in game one before the Kohawks fought back to take the finale, 3-0. The team began last week with a big doubleheader sweep of Central College on Tuesday; winning a pair of 3-2 thrillers, including a 10-inning marathon in game one. As a team, NWU is hitting .292 as a team during conference play and are eighth in runs scored with only 45. The team is right up there in second in doubles with 23 and lead the way with 23 sacrifice hits. The team only has five stolen base attempts during A-R-C play. Despite ranking low in runs scored, the team has offset that with one of the top pitching staffs in the league. Through its first 12 conference games, NWU is second in the league with a 3.39 ERA, allowing just 45 runs over 82.2 innings of play. The staff pitches to contact but opponents are hitting just .266 which is the second-lowest mark among all A-R-C teams. Val Gerlach is leading the team during league play with a .410 average, 16 hits, three doubles and six RBI. Paige Davison is next at .366, including 15 hits and a team-leading eight runs and seven RBI. Hannah Roth has a team-high five doubles with Taylor Styskal and Bre Schneidwind each hitting a pair of home runs. Inside the circle, Kailey Meyer has worked 51.1 of the team's 82.2 innings during league play and is 6-1 with a 2.88 ERA over five starts.
ABOUT BUENA VISTA
The Beavers, who came into the season picked to finish seventh in the A-R-C, are going after the program's first regular season title since 1996. A pair of wins on Tuesday would pull BVU even with Wartburg atop the A-R-C standings at 9-5 heading into the final day of league games on Saturday where the Beavers and Knights square off in Waverly. The team is fourth in the league in average (.296) and fifth in runs scored (61) during conference play. As of late, the power has heated up with seven of the team's nine home runs coming in the last two games and the team is fourth in doubles (22). Nattie Murillo is leading the team during its conference slate this season by hitting .432 with 16 hits, four doubles and nine RBI.
Carlee Guyett has 11 hits and is hitting .343 with four doubles eight walks and a is second with 11 runs scored.
Chloe Wells is hitting .342 with two doubles, a triple and two home runs, to go along with a team-high 12 runs scored.
Ashtyn Miller is leading the way with four home runs and 10 RBI while hitting .308. Miller also has a team-leading 10 wins inside the circle this season and a 3.67 ERA over 42.0 innings.
Peyton Gross follows at 9-6 and leads the way in conference games with 2.60 ERA over 35.0 innings. The duo has combined for 78 strikeouts and only 36 walks. Opponents have only 16 extra-base hits against them.
ON DECK: Buena Vista closes out its regular season on Saturday afternoon with a pair of games at Wartburg College (22-10, 9-5 A-R-C). The American Rivers Conference Tournament is set to take place next Friday, May 6 and Saturday, May 7 and hosted by the No. 1 seed.
