Dowagiac's Torie Lowe trots home after a homerun in the opening game against St. Joseph Monday afternoon. (The Daily News/SCOTT NOVAK)

By SCOTT NOVAK
Dowagiac Daily News

Mistakes continue to haunt the Dowagiac varsity softball team no matter who is playing in what position defensively.

Veteran Chieftain coach Mike Behnke has shifted his line-up around numerous times this season, but the results have not changed much.

Dowagiac committed 12 errors Monday afternoon against Visiting St. Joseph in a pair of losses.

The Bears, who won 10-3 and 12-2 in five innings, scored nine unearned runs thanks to those miscues.

“We have obviously hit a stretch of bad softball,” Behnke said. “I believe the errors are more mental at this point than physical. It is nothing that a little hard work can’t fix and that is what we will do the rest of the week before Allegan.”

St. Joseph finished with 12 hits in the opening game against Dowagiac’s Tara Sova, who falls to 3-5 on the season.

Colby Wittman had a pair of doubles for the Bears and finished with four hits in the contest.

Dowagiac had just four hits off of Sammie Helsley.

One of them was a homerun off the bat of Torie Lowe.

In the second game, St. Joseph had eight more hits off of losing pitcher Miranda East, who is also 3-5 on the year.

The Chieftains (6-10) finished with four hits off of the Bears’ Rachael Knapp, who struck out 10 and did not walk a batter.

First game
St. Joseph 230 050 0 – 10 12 0
Dowagiac 000 111 0 – 3 4 4
WP – Sammie Helsley and Colby Wittman
LP – Tara Sova and Torie Lowe
2B: C. Wittman (SJ) 2, Miranda East (D)
HR: Lowe (D)

Second game
St. Joseph 302 07 – 12 8 1
Dowagiac 101 00 – 2 4 8
WP – Rachael Knapp and Erika Priebe
LP – Miranda East and Torie Lowe
2B: Alex Wittman (SJ) 2
HR: Catlin Vukorpa
Varsity record: Dowagiac 6-10