Dowagiac senior pitchers Miranda East and Tara Sova each posted victories against Wolverine Conference rival Three Rivers on Tuesday with 2-0 and 13-2 outcomes, respectively.

“Seniors are supposed to step up in conference close games and tonight they did with (Miranda) East pitching the first shutout of the year at the right time and (Devon) Ownby along with (Kiele) Belew getting big hits for us,” stated Dowagiac coach Mike Behnke. “These were very good wins as we pulled out the first game and hit the ball much better in the second.”

Three Rivers (4-4, 4-2) was also pitching a shutout with senior stalwart Amy Newell sending 14 batters back to the dugout with three strikes in the opener until Ownby led off the sixth with a double over the centerfielder and then scored on an error.

East (7-9, 3-3) secured an insurance run with an infield single later in the stanza for a 2-0 advantage with one inning to finish, which she did with no problem.

Each team had five hits in the opener with junior Amber Tucker getting a pair of singles with senior Kelsey Larsh collecting one base hit in both games for the Wildcats.

“Absolutely, that first game was a tough one to lose when you are in a position to win, but you win some and lose some so back at it on Friday,” commented Three Rivers coach Carrie Balk. “We have had a lot of games canceled, both in the conference and other games as well.”

Newell also pitched the nightcap for the Wildcats and added six more strikeouts, which has given her 67 fanned batters in six games.

The Chieftains fell behind early in the second game, but a 2-1 deficit was erased with nine runs in the third inning as practically every Dowagiac batter found success.

Belew and sophomore Rachel Bailey each had two RBIs on a single and double, respectively.

Sova was one of a quartet of Chieftains with a RBI single in the third inning and she finished the game in the fifth with a run-scoring double and kept the Wildcats scoreless on the mound after loading the bases.

“We also played good defense and it was clutch to get the wins,” Behnke added.

Dowagiac had a total of 13 hits in the second game with five different Wildcats getting one single apiece.

“Dowagiac played well in the second game and we didn’t,” concluded Balk.

First game

Three Rivers 000 000 0 – 0 5 2

Dowagiac 000 002 x – 2 6 2

Miranda East (W, 3-5) and Devon Ownby

Amy Newell (L) and B. Klinger

2B: Ownby (D)

Second game

Dowagiac 019 03 – 13 14 2

Three Rivers 200 00 – 2 3 1

Tara Sova (W, 4-4) and Devon Ownby

Amy Newell (L) and B. Klinger

2B: Rachel Bailey (D), Kristyn Turner (D), Sierra Herter (D)

3B: Sova (D)

Varsity record: Dowagiac 7-9