By By SCOTT NOVAK / Dowagiac Daily News
The streak remains alive today for the Dowagiac varsity softball team as the Dowagiac Chieftains swept a Big-16 Conference West Division doubleheader from host St. Joseph Tuesday.
The Chieftains, ranked No. 4 in the latest coaches poll, has gone 86 consecutive innings without giving up a run. That streak spans 13 and a half games.
Dowagiac made the Lady Bears its latest victims, winning 3-0 and 9-0 to remain in first place in the Big-16.
The Chieftains didn't hit the ball well in the opening game, but came up with three runs in the fifth inning to earn the victory.
Kelly Tomczak got the winning rally started as she
Continued from 10
hit a ball to deep right field that was dropped.
Courtesy runner Sarah Luthringer then stole second and moved to third on a sacrifice bunt from Brianne Reist. St. Joseph tried to get Luthringer at third, but failed to do so allowing both runners to reach base.
Pinch runner Brittany Winters then stole second. Kim Luthringer singled to score Sarah Luthringer. On the same play, an error allowed Winters to score as well.
Jessica Nelson then followed with the suicide squeeze to score Kim Luthringer with the final run of the contest.
Luthringer had two of Dowagiac's three hits off of St. Joseph's Megan Gohlke.
Tomczak tossed a two-hitter to win her 11th straight game. Tomczak tied her own school record with 17 strikeouts. She walked just one batter.
In the nightcap the Chieftains exploded for 14 hits and nine runs.
Reist had two doubles for Dowagiac, which also got a single and a double from Jenna Stuppy, Tomczak and Nelson. Rachel Minikel had two singles.
Stuppy went the distance to improve her season mark to 8-1. Stuppy allowed four hits and struck out eight. She walked just one batter.
Dowagiac, now 20-1 on the season, has won 16 straight games heading into Thursday's Big-16 Conference West Division doubleheader against Niles.
First Game
Dowagiac 000 030 0 -- 3 3 0
St. Joseph 000 000 0 -- 0 2 3
Kelly Tomczak (W, 11-0); Megan Gohlke (L)
Second Game
Dowagiac 023 400 0 -- 9 14 1
St. Joseph 000 000 0 -- 0 4 0
Jenna Stuppy (W, 8-1); Mandy Rodriquez (L)
2B: Brianne Reist (D), Stuppy (D), Kelly Tomczak (D), Jessica Nelson (D)