THREE RIVERS — Visiting Dowagiac managed to earn a split with Three Rivers in its Wolverine Conference softball opener Tuesday.

The Wildcats won the first game 2-0 with single runs in the first two innings.

The Chieftains bounced back to take the nightcap, 2-0 on a four-hitter by Tori Smith.

Dowagiac scored both of its runs in the fifth inning.

“We played good defense tonight and got solid pitching, especially from Tori, who threw her first career shutout,” Dowagiac coach Mike Behnke said. “Our bats, however, were almost no-existent. We could not hit the ball with any authority in the first game when we got runners in scoring position.

Sierra (Herter) finally came through in the second game and hit a double with a runner in scoring position. We will have to play much better the next few days because our schedule only gets tougher.”

In the first game, Dowagiac manage just four hits, all singles.

In the second game, Herter doubled and drove in a run, while Amanda Craft was 2-for-4 with a double.

First game

Dowagiac 000 000 0 – 0 4 1

Three Rivers 110 000 x – 2 6 0

M. Cornish (W) and E. Conroy; Katie Ward (L) and Kourtney Mitchell

2B: M. Morris (TR)

Second game

Three Rivers 000 000 0 – 0 4 1

Dowagiac 000 020 x – 2 5 1

Tori Smith (W) and Kourtney Mitchell; B. Klinger and E. Conroy

2B: Amanda Craft (D), Sierra Herter (D)

Varsity record

Dowagiac 3-8, 1-1 Wolverine