MIDLAND, Mich. - Looking to jump second-place Northwood in the GLIAC standings, the Davenport softball team took on the Timberwolves in an afternoon doubleheader on Friday. Davenport held on for the win in game one, 7-5, before dropping the nightcap, 8-2.

With the split, Davenport sits at 20-19 overall, 16-11 in GLIAC play and a half game behind Northwood for third place in the league standings. On the other side, the Timberwolves are now 24-12 on the season, including 16-10 in conference action. Next up for the Panthers, they'll be at No. 14 Grand Valley State for a pair of affairs on Saturday beginning at 2:30 p.m.

In game one, Northwood got the scoring started with a run in the first before Davenport responded with four in the second and two more in the fourth. The first five of those six runs came in on RBI singles from Monica Meger, Addison Binney, Alexis Koza (scored two), and Gabby Palazzolo. The fifth came in when Koza grounded out to third and Emma Miller came around to score.

The home team got one back in the bottom of the fifth to make it 6-2 before the visitors scored their seventh and final run in the fifth as Mariah Cura hit a solo homerun to center, her sixth of the season. Northwood made it interesting with three runs in the bottom of the sixth to make it 7-5, but Davenport was able to stop the bleeding there and hold on for the game-one victory.

In the circle, Miller (10-7) gave up only one earned run on eight hits with five walks and two strikeouts. The left-hander walked multiple batters in back-to-back outings for just the second time this season and the five free passes on Friday are the most of her career.

In the nightcap, Northwood took a five-run lead early with three runs in the first and two more in the second. Davenport's two runs came in the sixth when Binney hit a solo shot to left, her third of the season, and Lindsay Goodman singled in Palazzolo.

Taylor Simon (2-4) got the start, but lasted just one inning with three runs surrendered, two earned, on just one hit to go with two free passes and no punchouts. In relief, Ellie Muilenburg handled the final five frames with five runs allowed, four earned, on six hits with not a single walk and eight strikeouts.

Story by: Cooper Weidenthaler