For the Dowagiac softball team the formula for success is simple.

Get good pitching, play good defense and hit the ball consistently.

Unfortunately for the Chieftains, they have not been able to put all three phases together in back-to-back games of late.

The same thing happened Friday as Dowagiac split a pair of Wolverine Conference games with host Paw Paw.

In the opening game, the Chieftains committed eight errors and despite outhitting the Redskins 6-4, lost 9-4.

Dowagiac had just one error in the second game, got another strong pitching performance and had nine hits in a 7-2 victory.

The split left Dowagiac at 20-12 on the season and head coach Mike Behnke frustrated.

“We continued to play sloppy defensively against Paw Paw,” Behnke said. “You will never beat a good team making eight errors. We improved the second game only making one error but it led to their two runs. We will have to turn it around quickly if we want to compete at districts.”

Taylor Hulett did not give up an earned run as she tossed a four-hitter with three strikeouts.

Kailey Fear was 2-for-3, while Tiana Wares and Hannah Whitaker both doubled. Megan Soderbloom drove in a pair of runs.

Fear tossed a four-hitter in the nightcap with nine strikeouts. Like Hulett, she did not allow an earned run.

Whitaker, Soderbloom and Taylor Pye all had two hits, including a double. Shelby Jackson also, while Fear drove in a pair of runs.

Dowagiac wraps up its regular season with a non-league doubleheader at St. Joseph today and a Wolverine Conference doubleheader at Plainwell Thursday.

 

DOWAGIAC 4-7, PAW PAW 9-2

At Paw Paw

First game

Dowagiac       003 100 0 – 4 6 8

Paw Paw         103 302 x – 9 4 1

Taylor Hulett (L); Brooke Vantillburg (W).

2B: Tiana Wares (D), Hannah Whitaker (D), G. Sylester (PP).

 

Second game

Dowagiac       000 302 2 – 7 9 1

Paw Paw         000 020 0 – 2 4 2

Kailey Fear (W); K. Herson (L).

2B: Shelby Jackson (D), Taylor Pye (D), Megan Soderbloom (D), Hannah Whitaker (D), Anna Castellucio (PP).

Varsity record: Dowagiac 20-12.