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GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. – Davenport played their first ever official home game today as they opened up the brand new state of the art Farmers Athletic Complex with a split against NCAA DII Northwood University on Wednesday afternoon. Davenport took the opener 9-6 before falling in the nightcap 17-9 in eight innings. The Panthers head to Virginia and Ohio this weekend for a pair of non-conference doubleheaders on Friday and Saturday.

The Davenport softball team has a new home and one that they can call their own as for the first time in the five-year history of the program, the team played on its own field. After playing at the Christian Reformed Recreation Center for the past four seasons, DU opened their brand new Farmers Athletic Complex today as they split a pair of games vs. GLIAC foe Northwood University (Mich.)

Game 1 – W, 9-6

Davenport jumped out to a quick 1-0 lead as the first Panther batter, Amber Getty, crushed a lead-off homerun in the bottom of the first to not only pick up the first hit, but the first run and first long ball at the new complex. After Northwood scored in their half of third, DU's bats caught fire in the bottom plating eight runs to lead 9-1.

KC Dunne got it started with an RBI single which was then followed by a two-RBI double from Paige Sant'Angelo. Getty would pick up her second RBI of the game later in the inning and the scoring was culminated with a fielding mistake leading to a Dunne run.

Davenport looked as if they would open the new ballpark with a mercy but two runs in the top of the fifth kept the game going and then the Timberwolves brought home three more in the sixth to make the final few at bats interesting. Sam Cole, who went the first four while only allowing the solo run in the third, re-entered for the seventh and shut the NU bats down to claim the win. Cole finished by allowing just four hits while striking out four to pick up her tenth win of the season.

Game 2 – L, 17-9 (8)

In what turned out to be a slugfest, the Timberwolves proved to have the final answer in a game that featured 32 hits and 26 runs. Davenport took a 3-1 lead in the second inning when KC Dunne singled home Kelly DuCharme and Lindsey Allen but the Northwood bats were just getting warmed up as they tagged DU starter Kyleigh Linebaugh for six runs in the next inning and nine total on the game to open an 8-3 lead.

Davenport started chipping away at the lead in the fifth when Debra Burton picked up a two-RBI single and then the Panthers scored three more in the sixth to tie the game at 8-8. The game-tying single came from Ashleigh Blovsky as she brought home Bri Elliott.

After a scoreless seventh, the game went into extra innings and the NU bats erupted for nine runs including a pair of homeruns. DU did get one back in the bottom of the inning but it was not enough as they fell 17-9. Sam Cole suffered the loss on the mound after coming in relief of Linebaugh in the fifth.
Davenport will now travel to face Virginia Intermont on Friday and Shawnee State (Ohio) on Saturday. Both days will be doubleheaders.

Post-Game Notes

With the split, Davenport is now 3-2 against teams from the GLIAC as they are 1-1 vs. Ferris State, 1-0 vs. Lake Superior State and 1-1 vs. Northwood…Amber Getty raised her batting average to a team leading .492 and now has a career high four homeruns on the season…It marks the second year in a row that DU has opened its home schedule with a split against a GLIAC foe as they did the same last year against Ferris State …The 17 runs were the most allowed by DU in their five-year history
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
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