CEDAR RAPIDS, Iowa -- The No. 6 seed Nebraska Wesleyan Prairie Wolves (16-19, 11-13 A-R-C) and No. 4 seed Luther College Norse (29-14, 14-10 A-R-C) emerge from pod play to face off in the 2021 American Rivers Conference (A-R-C) Softball Tournament best of three championship series. 

In the Cedar Rapids, Iowa pod, Luther, seeded fourth in this year's tournament, defeated No.5 seed Simpson in the opening game on day one, 5-3. Buena Vista University, who advanced to the double elimination bracket with an 8-0 (5inn.) win over No.9 seed Loras, upended top-seeded Coe 10-5 in day one's second game. Coe bounced back with a 3-1 victory over Simpson in an elimination game. In the winner's bracket No.8 seeded Buena Vista kept things rolling, defeating No.4 seed Luther 6-1.

The first game of day two pitted Coe against Luther in an elimination game. By a score of 5-0 the Luther College Norse eliminated Coe, moving them into the pod championship, where they faced Buena Vista University. Luther kept their day rolling with a 2-0 victory over the Beavers. With both teams now 2-1 in pod play they took the field one more time with a trip to the best of three championship series on the line. In another tightly contested game, Luther came out on top 3-2. 

The Waverly, Iowa pod began with No.6 seeded Nebraska Wesleyan University taking down No.3 seed Central College 4-2 on day one. Continuing with the theme of upsets, No.7 seeded University of Dubuque defeated No.2 seeded Wartburg 15-4 Wednesday, May 13. Central stayed alive in the tournament field, winning the elimination game against Wartburg 5-4. Sixth-seeded NWU advanced in the winner's bracket, defeating No.7 seed Dubuque 8-2.

Central and Dubuque squared off to began day two of the tournament with an elimination game. The Dutch of Central College came away with the 6-1 victory, moving them into the pod championship. The Prairie Wolves of Nebraska Wesleyan only needed one win to advance to Saturday's best of three championship series and that they did, defeating Central 9-4. 

The event resumes tomorrow at noon with the first two games of the championship best of three series. If necessary, the third game of the championship series will take place Sunday, May 15. The Norse and Prairie Wolves last met on April 17-18 for their three game conference series. Luther took came one 8-2 but NWU recorded a 5-3 win in game two of their doubleheader. The rubber match went to NWU, by a score of 8-2.

Cedar Rapids Pod (hosted by No. 1 seed Coe)
Elimination Game
No.1 seed v. No.4 seed
Coe, Luther

Teams	1	2	3	4	5	6	7		R	H	E
LUT (4)	0	0	1	2	1	0	1		5	9	2
COE 91)	0	0	0	0	0	0	0		0	6	0

WP -- Kendra Cooper (16-5); LP -- Hannah Ausenhus (10-4)

A 5-0 elimination game win for No.4 seed Luther (27-14) advanced them to the pod championship for a rematch with No.8 seed Buena Vista (19-20), who defeated the Norse 6-1 on day one of the tournament. BVU, sitting at 2-0 in pod play needs only one win over the Norse to advance to tomorrow's best of three championship series. The Norse will need to take two from the Beavers to keep their tournament run alive. 

The loss for Coe brings their tournament to an end. Coe, the A-R-C regular season champion and league's automatic qualifier to the NCAA Division III Tournament will find out their regional assignment Monday, May 17 at 12:00 p.m. (CST). 

Luther's Kyla Heydt and Abby Spore each went 2-for-4 at the plate with one run, pacing the Norse. Heydt added one RBI. Elsa Skeie added one hit in three plate appearances, along with one RBI and one run. Emily Vernik, Belle Berg, Emily Fell, and Anna Forari all picked up one hit in the victory. Versnik, Forari, and Hannah Halverson each drove in one run. Winning pitcher, Kendra Cooper tossed a complete game, giving up six hits and striking out three of 29 batters faced. 

Coe saw six players record single hit outings; Kelsey Hora, Ruby Kappeler, Madi Parson, Skyler Stookey, Kerra Ball, and Chloe Severson. Hannah Ausenhus went seven innings in the Circle for Coe, allowing five runs on nine hits. Ausenhus struck out two of 32 batters faced. 

Pod Championship Game 1
No.8 seed v. No.4 seed
Buena Vista 0, Luther 2

Teams	1	2	3	4	5	6	7		R	H	E
BVU (8)	0	0	0	0	0	0	0		0	5	0
LUT (4)	0	0	2	0	0	0	x		2	4	0

WP -- Kendra Cooper (16-5); LP -- Peyton Gross (7-10)

Following yesterday's 6-1 loss to the Beavers, Luther answered with a 2-0 pod championship game one victory, keeping their title hopes alive. In a well pitched game, Luther managed to produce four hits, led by Belle Berg, who went 2-for-3. Kayla Heydt's 1-for-1 day at the plate drove in Luther's two winning runs. Elsa Skeie and Hannah Halverson were the two runners driven in by Heydt. Skeie also went 1-for-2 at the plate. Kendra Cooper picked up her sixteenth win of the year, throwing a complete game. Cooper gave up just five hits and allowed no runs while striking out five of 26 batters faced. 

Buena Vista's five hits came from five different players; Michaela Mason (1-for-3), Kayden Archibeque (1-for-3), Carlee Guyett (1-for-3), Mckynze Hansen (1-for-2), and Carrie Dose (1-for-3). Tossing a complete game six innings, Peyton gross faced 29 batters, striking out 2. Gross gave up four hits in the game, allowing two runs. 

Pod Championship Game 2
No.8 seed v. No.4 seed
Buena Vista 2, Luther 3

Teams	1	2	3	4	5	6	7		R	H	E
BVU (8)	1	0	0	0	0	0	1		2	3	0
LUT (4)	0	0	2	0	0	1	x		3	8	3

WP -- Kendra Cooper (17-5); LP -- Ashtyn Miller (9-11)

In the tournament rubber match between Buena Vista (19-21) and Luther (28-14), also holding the weight of a trip to the title series, Luther prevailed 3-2. After going scoreless the first two innings Luther's Sydney Shultz hit a two run homer in the bottom of the third, scoring Hannah Halverson. Shultz finished the game 3-for-4 with two RBI and one run. Halverson was 1-for-2 at the plate while teammate Belle Berg tallied two hits in three plate appearances. Pinch runner Leah Crown crossed home plate on an Emily Versnik sacrifice fly to center field. Kendra Cooper tossed her third complete game of the day, giving up just three hits and two runs in her final outing. Cooper faced 27 batters, striking out 5. 

Carlee Guyett produced once again for the Beavers, going 3-for-2 with one RBI and one run. Savanna Pohlmann picked up Buena Vista's third hit of the game. Ashtyn Miller went the distance in the circle for BVU. In six innings she gave up eight hits and three runs. Miller struck out four of 29 batters faced.

Waverly Pod (hosted by No. 2 seed Wartburg)
Elimination Game
No.3 seed v. No.7 seed
Central 6, Dubuque1

Teams	1	2	3	4	5	6	7		R	H	E
DBQ (7)	0	0	0	0	0	0	1		1	7	0
CEN (3)	0	0	3	2	1	0	x		6	8	0

WP -- Sydni Huisman (13-10); LP -- Lexi Schmidt (15-9)

The Dutch of Central College (20-13) advanced to the Waverly, Iowa Pod Championship with a 6-1 elimination game win over the University of Dubuque Spartans (23-19). Third-seeded Central looks to avenge a 4-2 day one loss to No.6 seed Nebraska Wesleyan (15-19). A single pod championship game win for NWU will advance the to the tournament championship best of three series, while the Dutch will need to secure two wins to move on. 

Central's offensive attack was led by Carson Fisk, who went 2-for-2 at the plate with two RBI and one run scored. Six other Dutch players recorded hits, Emma Johnson (1-for-3), Megan Stuhr (1-for-3), Daria Parchert (1-for-3), Denae Howes ((1-for-2), Lauren Brit (1-for-1), and Madison Farrington (1-for-1). Johnson added two RBI while Parchert and Howes added one each. Brit scored two runs with Howes, Megan Doty, and Tallman adding one a piece. In the circle, Sydni Huisman collected the win for Central, tossing four innings with no runs scored. Huisman recorded two strikeouts in 16 batters faced. 

Dubuque was able to tally seven hits but were only able to plate one run. Morgan Turnmire led the Spartans, going 2-for-3. Lauren Brown, Rachel Trader, Kylee Biedermann, Alyanna Martinez, and Callie Dutton each recorded a hit for UD. Dutton drove in UD's single run, scoring Martinez. Going six innings in the circle for Dubuque was Lexi Schmidt. She allowed six runs on eight hits. 

Pod Championship Game 1
No.6 seed v. No.3 seed
Nebraska Wesleyan 9, Central 4

Teams	1	2	3	4	5	6	7		R	H	E
NWU (6)	0	0	3	0	4	2	0		9	14	2
CEN (3)	0	0	0	0	0	3	1		4	6	1

WP -- Kailey Meyer (14-9); LP -- Sydni Huisman (13-11)

With a 9-4 pod championship game one win over No.3-seed Central (20-14), sixth seeded Nebraska Wesleyan (15-20) will travel to Cedar Rapids for tomorrow's first two games of the best of three championship series. 

The Prairie Wolves scored nine runs on 14 hits while limiting Central to four runs on six hits. Three players for NWU recorded three hits in the victory. Mollie Grant went 3-for-3 with three RBI and one run. Sydney Nickerson also went 3-for-3 adding three runs. Taylor Styskal had a 3-for-4 day at the plate, driving two runs in and scoring one herself. Pitcher, Kailey Meyer was 1-for-4 with two RBI and one run scored. Emma Alfier got in on the scoring action, crossing home plate twice while going 1-for-4. Meyer, the winning pitcher, threw a complete game allowing four runs on six hits. She struck out five of 31 batters faced. 

Megan Doty and Megan Sthur paced Central at the plate. Doty went 2-for-2 with two runs scored while Sthur finished with three hits on four appearances and drove in three runs. Sara Tallman and Carson Fisk rounded out Central's six team hits. Sydni Huisman went four innings in the circle for Central, allowing five runs on seven hits. Morgan Schaben game in for 2.1 innings, giving up four runs on five hits. Skylar Sadler finished the last two outs of the seventh, allowing two hits and no runs. 
 

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