MINNEAPOLIS, Minn.- The Western Illinois softball team lost their final-two games of the Metrodome Tournament against Arkansas, 5-3, and Drake, 4-3.

Game 5: Western Illinois 3, Arkansas 5

A two-run bottom of the seventh inning was not enough to come back and defeat the Razorbacks (5-2) as the Westerwinds (4-6) were defeated by a score of 5-3 in their fifth game of the Metrodome Tournament.

The game remained scoreless through five innings until Jessica Bachkora hit a two-RBI home run to left field, giving the Razorbacks a 2-0 lead in the top of the fifth.

The Razorbacks scored three more runs in the top of the sixth, pushing their lead to five. In the bottom of the inning, an Erin Schlotfeldt RBI scored Julie DePolo for the first of two runs scored in the inning for the Westerwinds. Ashley Campbell hit an RBI single to second base, scoring Katie Rogers and cutting the Razorbacks' lead to three.

In the bottom of the seventh, Jamie Goss hit an RBI to the short stop, scoring DePolo for the Westerwinds only run of the inning, making the final score 5-3 in favor of the Razorbacks.

Recording the loss for Western was Kamren Ferguson (2-3) as she pitched a complete game, striking out eight and giving up six hits.

Offensively, Goss went 2-for-4 at the plate and picked up an RBI and Campbell recorded one hit and an RBI. The Westerwinds were only out hit by one (7-6), but committed three errors in the loss.

Game 6: Western Illinois 3, Drake 4

The Western Illinois softball team was defeated, 4-3, by Drake in the team's sixth and final game of the Metrodome Tournament.

The Bulldogs (3-0) used a Carrie Hatfield two-run RBI to left-center field to spark a four-run inning in the bottom of the second, taking the lead 4-2 over the Westerwinds (4-6).

The game remained scoreless until the top of the sixth as Colleen Biebel crossed home plate on a Bulldog throwing error, cutting the Bulldogs' lead to one.

In the second inning, the Westerwinds got on the scoreboard first on a DePolo two-RBI home run to left field but were only able to score one more run the entire game, losing 4-3.

Lori Pankratz (1-2) picked up the loss, striking out five and allowing four earned runs in seven innings of work.

DePolo went 1-for-3 at the plate with two RBI on her first home run of the season. The Westerwinds were out hit in the game, 5-3.

Up Next

The Westerwinds take two weeks off before traveling to Louisville, Ky., for the Louisville Black and Red Tournament on Feb. 28-March 1 to play Louisville and Miami (Ohio) University.

Post-tournament Notes

The Westerwinds have stolen 21 bases to their opponents 11 on the season. Furgala has stolen six bases and DePolo has five, respectively.

When scoring in the first inning of play, Western is 3-1. 

Schlotfeldt leads a group of five different Westerwinds who have recorded five or more RBI this season.

 Post-tournament Quotes

Head coach Holly Van Vlymen

Thoughts on the games against Arkansas and Drake
   
“We definitely had a lot more fight in us today than we did yesterday (against Northern Iowa and Green Bay). The girls were loud and cheered on their teammates all day, but we fell a little short in the end. Even after making a mistake, they came right back and I am very proud of the way they fought all day.”

“We came back towards the end of both games and we had runners in scoring position, but we were not able to score. Overall, we pitched well and played defense well, even though we had few mistakes on defense.”

What are were need to work on between now and our next tournament in two weeks

“We are hitting well, we may not have had a great day of hitting in the second and third day of the tournament, but there is no doubt that our hitting will be our strength throughout the season. We are running the bases well too, but we need to continue to stay aggressive."

"We need to work on more pressure situations at the plate, and we will do that this week at practice. We are definitely going to put runners in scoring positions and they will have to hit out of the situation."

"Defensively, we need play better in pressure situations, so we will practice more of those situations as well. We usually have great practices but we need to bridge the gap between how we practice and play."

On how the freshman are handling the pressure of big games through the second week of the season

"I think they are doing well, but it has been an adjustment. Jamie (Goss) was a third baseman in high school and were asking her to play first base now. As I always tell the two freshman,'The game has not changed, it might be a little faster, but it is the same game you have always been playing.' They have embraced the idea and have done a great job so far. Defensively they are a little rough in spots, but we expected that and they will continue to get better."

Junior Julie DePolo

What you took away from the weekend

“We never give up. Our team is always cheering whether we are winning or we are down by two runs in the bottom of the seventh.”

What to work on with two weeks off before the Louisville Red and Black Tournament

"Mentally, we need to have more confidence in ourselves and know we can hit the ball. We also need to work on hitting, in specific, seeing the pitches better and being confident when we have two strikes and putting the ball into play.”