Feb. 23, 2009
Game 1 Box Score Game 2 Box Score Photo Gallery 
CLERMONT, Fla. - The first day of Davenport University Softball is in the books as the Lady Panthers split their two games today with a program opening loss to Capital University 5-4 and a big 15-6 win over Hanover College in the second game. DU will have Tuesday off before taking on Grove City and Webber International on Wednesday.
In the opening game of the softball program's history, the Panthers fell behind early as Capital University put up two runs in the bottom of the first inning. After DU loaded the bases and received their first hit in program history by Kristina Krum in the top of the second, the Panthers were unable to get a run across.
Davenport would eventually give up two more runs in the following innings to trail 4-0 after three as Capital looked like the experienced team having already played one game earlier in the day.
DU responded in a big way though in a three-run fourth inning when Cora Miller got things going with a single which was immediately followed by a double off the bat of Kristin Miedema. Kassi Johnson, who also took over on the mound and shut down the Capital offense, then brought home DU's first ever run on a single to right field and they would tack on two more runs in the inning to trail by only one heading into the fifth.
In the top half of the fifth, Nikki Aldrich reached on an error and was brought home by the next batter, Ali Dawson to even the score at four. Haley Stehouwer then singled to give DU two on with none out, but the new pitcher for Capital ended the inning with a ground out and two strikeouts to get out of the jam.
The two teams then posted a few more threats in regulation, but the game would go into extra innings where Davenport was unable to bring home the runner placed on second in the beginning of the inning through the international rule and Capital followed by singling home the winning run with two outs in the bottom half of the inning.
Davenport can take a lot from the loss as they had many chances while leaving 10 players on base and finishing the game with 8 strikeouts.
Game two against Hanover College was a completely different story for the Panthers as Ali Dawson dominated the two-four hitters in succession after a game opening walk and the momentum carried over to the bottom half. DU got the first run of the game and their first ever lead when Haley Stehouwer scored on a single by Morgan Greenfield.
After Hanover tacked on two runs in the top of the third, Davenport's offense dominated the rest of the way as the flood gates came open in the bottom half of the third that saw 11 runs come across the plate on 10 hits from the Panthers.
Hanover to their credit though, kept fighting and scored three runs in the top of the fourth on new Davenport pitcher Lindsey Stocker, but the freshman from Marysville got two straight ground-outs to end any further damage.
Knowing that they needed a few runs and three final outs to score a mercy victory, Nikki Aldrich got things started for the Panthers in the bottom of the fourth with a single to left that was followed by a triple from Stehouwer. Cora Miller then reached on an error and Morgan Greenfield came up with another big hit to bring Stehouwer home. Katie Cornman then brought Miller home on another misplayed ball by the Hanover defense as Davenport ended the inning with a 15-5 lead.
A late run by Hanover in the top of the fifth was the only other scoring in the game as Stocker closed the door on Davenport's first ever victory with a strikeout for the game's final out. Davenport will look to keep its winning ways on Wednesday when they take on Grove City College and Webber International.
