Alysia Wittmaack battled illness and scattered 10 hits to get the complete game victory which set a new Nebraska Wesleyan season and career record for pitching victories. She helped NWU defeat Briar Cliff, 5-4, in game one of a GPAC softball doubleheader but the Chargers bounced back to win game two, 4-2.
The loss in game two drops the Prairie Wolves record to 26-10 overall and 17-5 in GPAC play. NWU is now out of contention for the GPAC regular season championship as Morningside College clinches the title.
Wittmaack was not the only NWU player to set a record on the night as sophomore Dani Bryant set a new NWU season stolen base record with 35 on the season. Wittmaack improved to 17-2 on the season to set the season record, while also getting her 38th career victory. Bryant broke the record set by Dianne Humphrey back in 1989.
Only two days after missing a game due to sickness, Wittmaack hung tough to get NWU the win in game one. She struck out five and walked one while allowing two earned runs.
NWU jumped ahead 3-0 in the first inning as Melissa Blomstedt had a two-run double for the big hit of the inning. BCU bounced back with three runs in the top of the third inning to tie the game at 3-3.
Marcia Kennedy doubled to drive in Jamie Jaques in the bottom of the fourth to put NWU ahead 4-3. The Prairie Wolves added another insurance run in the fifth inning as Anna Brownell singled to drive in Heather Stang.
Briar Cliff did score one run in the top of the seventh, but couldn't get the winning run across as they left two runners on base.
In game two, the Chargers got on the board first with a run in the second. They added another run in the fourth to go up 2-0.
Nebraska Wesleyan rallied to tie the game at 2-2 in the fourth inning. Krista Wearden had an RBI single and Jamie Seger scored on a wild pitch to tie the game.
BCU then came right back in the top of the fifth to get three hits and two runs to go up 4-2 and that is all they would need for the victory.
NWU managed just five hits on the game as Camille Cruz shut down the Prairie Wolves bats. No NWU player had more than one hit or an extra base hit.
Nebraska Wesleyan closes out the regular season on Saturday (May 1) with a trip to Morningside College for a doubleheader.
