The DCB Ladyjacks softball team left off where the ended last season offensively scoring 26 runs in their three games played this past weekend at the Minot Bubble. DCB opened up the weekend Saturday with a 9-3 win against Williston State College and a 14-8 victory over Lake Region State College. NDSCS spoiled the weekend defeating the Ladyjacks 5-3 in the lone Sunday game.
In the first game the Ladyjacks scored a single run in the 1st and 4th innings to lead 2-0. The Tetons scored a run in the top of the 5th to cut the lead in half. The Ladyjacks bats woke up in the 5th scoring 4 runs to put them up 6-1. The Tetons answered with a run in the top of the 6th but DCB put the game out of reach in the 6th scoring 3 more, eventually winning 9-3. Sophomores Elisa Clay and Ladaija Fitzgerald each had 2 hits while sophomore Savannah Fabro had 3 RBI. Freshman Vannity Robles hit her first college homerun in her first college game. Destiny Lewis pitched the first 5 innings striking out 7 and giving up just 1 earned run. Robles pitched the final 2 innings giving up one hit while striking out 1.
Saturday's second game looked more like a football score as DCB overcame a 4-0 Lake Region lead to score 12 in the top of the 5th. The Ladyjakcs would go on to a 14-8 win. Errors cost the Ladyjacks some runs but the bats continued to be the difference. DCB had 13 hits and walked 11 times, showing patience at the plate early in the season. "I was happy with our approach at the plate, in particular this early in the season. I thought we would struggle more then we did so thats a great start. Our pitching was really good all weekend as a we had a large amount of unearned runs. We need to shore up our infield defense and we need to prepare ourselves for these tough weekends when you have to sometimes play at 8:00am, like we did on Sunday. We did not do a good job of preparing ourselves for the second day. We need to fix that and we will", stated head coach Mike Smith. Clay again lead the team with 3 hits, including 2 doubles while Fabro and sophomores Stephanie Ahmed and SkyLyn Karonis all had 2 hits. Freshman Vivionna Robles, Vannity's twin sister, started the game in the circle but was hit in the lower shin with a line drive by the first batter of the second inning. Her sister Vannity moved in from RF to replace her and pitched 5 innings for her first collegiate pitching win, while Lewis cleaned up the final inning.
The Ladyjacks came out flat Sunday and played a solid NDSCS team. They gave Science a 5-0 lead before battling back to 5-3 but were unable to score in a 1-2-3 7th giving NDSCS the first game in what will surely be a season-long rivalry. Clay again lead the Ladyjacks offensively with three more hits giving her 8 hits for the weekend on just 11 at bats. Sophomore catcher Claire Hiebert picked up two hits. Lewis went the distance for the Ladyjacks giving up 8 hits, 2 walks while striking out 3.
DCB and NDSCS will play their MonDak conference games in Wahpeton, ND on April 18-19. The winner of this series will host a best of 3 playoff series to see which team will advance to the Region 13A playoff in Minnesota. Regardless of the two teams rankings only one team can qualify for the Regional.
The Ladyjacks are in action on February 22nd as they play in the RCTC Early Bird Tournament in Rochester, Minnesota. They will take on three tough competitors including Division II teams College of Lake County and Kirkwood. Kirkwood is currently ranked #6 in the NJCAA Division II pre-season rankings. It will be the first time a DCB softball team has faced a top ten Division II team. The final game pits DCB vs Simpson College JV. Simpson is a NCAA Div. III team.