(Atlantic) Atlantic opened the season with a pair of wins over Denison-Schleswig in a Hawkeye Ten Conference doubleheader Tuesday at home. The Trojans rolled to a 14-4 victory in four innings in the opener before securing a 3-1 win in the nightcap.
In game one, Atlantic collected 14 runs on 15 hits while Denison-Schleswig finished with four runs on six hits. Brynn Lamp earned the win in the circle, recording three strikeouts and hitting one batter.
The Trojans broke open a 3-3 tie in the bottom of the second inning with a seven-run outburst on seven hits, sending 10 batters to the plate. Jillian Saathoff highlighted the inning with a two-run home run, while Lila Wiederstein, Dylin Ball, and London Kirchhoff each doubled. Zoey Kirchhoff, Olivia Knuth, and Claire Schroder added singles during the rally. Ann Wessel drove in a run in the top of the fourth to close the gap to 10-4. The Trojans countered with another run in the bottom of the third, and two-more runs in the bottom of the fourth to seal the win.
Olivia Knuth led Atlantic at the plate, going 3-for-3 with two RBI. Jillian Saathoff finished 2-for-2 with two RBI, while Zoey Kirchhoff went 2-for-2 and drove in three runs. Dylin Ball added a 2-for-2 performance with an RBI, and Kinsley Johnson collected a pair of hits in three at-bats. Lila Wiederstein, Makenna Schroeder, Claire Schroder, and London Kirchhoff each contributed singles.
Ann Wessel paced the Monarchs offensively with a single, double, and triple, while Emily Gehlsen, Avery Bock, and Grace Collins each added a single.
In the nightcap, Peyton McLaren turned in a dominant performance in the circle. The junior retired the first nine batters she faced and allowed just one run on two hits while striking out four without issuing a walk.
Atlantic grabbed an early lead in the bottom of the first inning when Lila Wiederstein singled and later scored on an error. Jillian Saathoff also reached base on an error during the frame. The Trojans extended the advantage to 2-0 in the second inning as Wiederstein delivered an RBI single that brought home Saathoff.
Atlantic added an insurance run in the fifth inning after Makenna Schroeder drew a walk and Zoey Kirchhoff followed with an RBI double. Denison-Schleswig answered in the top of the sixth when Malana Gilnor tripled and later scored on an error to trim the deficit to 3-1.
Both teams return to action Wednesday, with Denison-Schleswig traveling to Westwood while Atlantic hosts Missouri Valley.
