By By SCOTT NOVAK / Dowagiac Daily News
The Dowagiac varsity softball team remained undefeated in Big 16 Conference West Division play Tuesday afternoon against host St. Joseph.
Both the Chieftains and the Lady Bears came into the contest as honorable mention selections in Division 2.
Dowagiac got the better of St. Joseph as it swept the division doubleheader. The Chieftains took the first game 7-2 and then slipped past the Lady Bears in the nightcap, 2-1.
Dowagiac got off to a fast start in the opening game, scoring three runs in the first inning.
Dowagiac built a 7-0 lead in the fifth inning as it scored once in the fourth and three times in the top half of the fifth.
St. Joseph scored a run in the bottom of the fifth and another in the bottom of the sixth.
Dowagiac banged out 10 hits in the contest led by Brittney Reist and Brittany Bruens who tripled and doubled respectively. Reist also drove in two runs.
Kim Luthringer and Holly Lowe both had a pair of hits for Dowagiac (15-4, 4-0). Mandy Parish, Lindsay Tyler and Amy Wood all singled and drove in a run.
Reist (7-2) picked up the victory as she tossed a two-hitter with six strike outs. Reist did not allow an earned run and did not walk a batter.
Missy Blake took the loss for St. Joseph (16-3, 0-2).
In the nightcap, Dowagiac scored first and last to edge the Lady Bears.
The Chieftains scored a run in the first and a run in the eighth inning to complete the sweep.
Ashley Willis (5-2) went the distance, allowing one run on five hits with five strike outs. Willis also did not give up an earned run and did not walk a batter.
Mandi Rodriquez took the loss for St. Joseph.
The Chieftains finished with seven hits, led by Parish who went 2-for-4 with two RBIs. Tyler was 2-for-3, while Wood, Luthringer and Lowe also had hits.
Dowagiac returns to action on Thursday when it hosts Berrien Springs in a non-conference doubleheader beginning at 4 p.m.