Nekrassoff helps DWU softball to a sweep of Dakota State

• Gummer

(Kevin Pottebaum/Republic) Dakota Wesleyan’s Bailey Gummer looks to throw the ball to first base during a game against Dakota State Saturday, at Dr. McWhirter Field in Mitchell. Also pictured is DWU’s Nicole Haley at back.

Talk about it

With only 10 players suited up, the Dakota Wesleyan University softball team swept its nonconference doubleheader with Dakota State 4-2 and 7-3 Saturday at Dr. McWhirter Field in Mitchell.

The Tigers have won four consecutive games without regular starters Kelsie Fahr and Jennica Berry, who ran into each other going after a fly ball in a game earlier this month at Sioux Falls.

“We’ve been able to do well without them but it’d be better to have them,” Tigers coach Ed Kieff said.

Fahr could return to the lineup as early as Tuesday, while Berry is expected to miss more time. Both players suffered from concussion-like syndromes.

With the absence of the two starters, Brandi Nekrassoff has pitched effectively for DWU. In the four-game winning streak, Nekrassoff has thrown every pitch for the Tigers.

“She’s really starting to hit her groove right now,” Kieff said. “She’s getting stronger and you can just see it in her. With Brandi on the mound, we feel that we should win every game.”

Nekrassoff allowed five hits, one walk and two runs in game on Saturday. She struck out five batters in the contest.

In game two, she allowed 10 hits and three runs without walking a batter and striking out one.

“She’s really making things difficult for the other team’s hitters,” Kieff said.

Megan Courtois and Devinne Facile led the team with three hits each in the doubleheader sweep.

Facile has stepped in for the injured Berry, and Kieff said he has been pleased with her performance.

“Facile has really stepped up and hit the ball well,” he said. “Everybody up and down the lineup has started to put the ball in play a lot better.”

Kieff said the team is peaking at the right time of the season.

“I think we’ve got the ingredients to make a good run for the conference,” he said. “We know that we have a team that can win all of our games. We’ve been fortunate enough to come along at the right time.”

The Tigers improved to 10-21 on the season and have a 5-3 record in the Great Plains Athletic Conference, which is good for second place in the conference standings.

Dakota Wesleyan returns to GPAC competition Tuesday, when it hosts Morningside College in a doubleheader at 3 p.m. at Dr. McWhirter Field.

Tags: sports, updates, softball, dwu, tigers