The Wartburg Knights softball squad hosted the University of Dubuque in a home opener on March 30. The doubleheader also marked the opening of conference play.

The Knights won the first game after a ninth-inning single by Ashley Steines to give the Knights a 3-2 win.
Head coach Kara Kehe praised the efforts of her team in the first game.

“It was nice to see people come through in key situations,” Kehe said. “Steines is a senior, wants to get up there, get a hit and finish it, and that’s exactly what she did.”

The Bears were a familiar foe to the Knights. Last spring the Knights dropped a game to the Bears in the Div. III regional final.

“We were playing a very good opponent, a team that eliminated us from the championship game of the regional last year,” Kehe said. “To go down there and put 14 runs on the board, have our pitchers throw pretty well and play decent defense behind them; it gives us a glimpse into the potential of this team.”

In game two, the Knights found themselves down 2-0, but scored four runs in the sixth inning and two in the seventh for the win.

The wins helped the Knights start out with a 2-0 conference record and a 13-5 overall record.

The Knights record has helped them move into the top 10 nationally, as chosen by the National Fastpitch Coaches Association. The Knights moved up to 10th after being 16th last week.