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DOWAGIAC — It didn’t take the Dowagiac girls’ softball team long to return to its winning ways. 

After getting swept in a non-league doubleheader at Stevensville-Lakeshore on Monday, Dowagiac returned to the diamond Tuesday and crushed visiting Benton Harbor 16-0 and 18-0 in a Lakeland Conference twinbill. 

Both games were called in the third inning on the 15-run mercy rule.

Dowagiac had started the season with 16 consecutive victories before falling twice to Lakeshore 10-9 and 10-0. Tuesday’s wins improve the Lady Chieftains to 18-2 overall and 4-0 in the league with a key league twinbill against Niles Brandywine coming up next Tuesday at home. 

“These two  games gave us a chance to work on some things. All of the kids got to play and we brought up a couple girls, Dari Brooks and Madi Wilds, from the junior varsity who combined to go 4-for-4 for us at the plate. It was good to see that from them. All of the girls were patient at the plate and took the best pitches we could tonight and hit the ball hard,” said Dowagiac head coach Mike Behnke who is in his 21st season guiding the program.

“I felt bad for Benton Harbor today and the teams we play next week because the two losses on Monday to Lakeshore left us with a bad taste in our mouths. We just have to fix a few things and our girls know what they have to do to keep improving.”

Dowagiac senior pitcher Rebecca Guernsey tossed a perfect game in the opener with six strikeouts.

The Lady Chieftains scored 10 runs in the first inning. Charleigh Reed belted a two-run single that scored Guernsey and Marlie Carpenter. Claire Hess’ RBI single plated Bree Behnke. Bree Campbell had a two-run double that scored Hess and Reed. Wilson’s RBI single drove home Campbell. Behnke laced an RBI single that scored McIntosh in the Chieftains’ second trip through the lineup during the frame.

Olivia McIntosh, Addie Wilson and Carpenter all scored during the same inning on walks.

Dowagiac tacked on six more runs in the bottom of the second. Reed, Hess and Campbell all scored on Wilson’s three-run double. McIntosh singled to drive in Wilson. Guernsey’s RBI single plated Emily Henry. McIntosh scored on a walk to Madi Wilds. 

Dowagiac’s bats remained hot in the nightcap.

The Lady Chieftains scored 10 runs in the first and eight in the second. 

Carpenter blasted a two-run triple that scored McIntosh and Guernsey to highlight the first. Henry’s two-run double scored Reed and Hess.

Carpenter scored on a walk to Hess. McIntosh returned to the dish later in the frame and laced a two-run triple that scored Campbell and Henry. McIntosh scored on Guernsey’s RBI single. Behnke punched a single that scored Guernsey. Carpenter and Behnke scored the other two Chieftains’ runs on bases-loaded walks.

Wulson’s two-run double scored Dari Brooks and Wilds in the second. Henry added a two-run single that scored Wilson and Campbell. Guernsey’s RBI single plated Henry. Carpenter drove in McIntosh and Guernsey with a single. Carpenter scored on Behnke’s double. 

Wilson got the win for Dowagiac in the circle with eight strikeouts. She struck out the first three Benton Harbor hitters in the first and second innings. The Tigers got their only baserunner of the day in the final inning of game two via a walk.

Dowagiac returns 10 letterwinners from the 2024 squad that finished the season 25-8.

Campbell, only a freshman, will pitch a majority of the innings for Dowagiac this Spring as the Lady Chieftains’ No. 1 ace with Guernsey in the No. 2 role.

“She (Campbell) has really thrown well and kept us in some tough games so far this season against some good teams,” Dowagiac’s head coach said. 

Carpenter. the team’s starting shortstop and also a backup catcher, leads Dowagiac in batting average.

“Marlie is only a junior and has put alot of work in over the past few years. She’s just very strong and a well-disciplined hitter,” Mike Behnke said.

Guernsey is the Lady Chieftains’ starting centerfielder when she’s not pitching.   

“Rebecca has played just about every position for us during her four-year varsity career. She’s a person that always works hard and gives you 100 percent effort no matter what,” Dowagiac’s coach said.

“We’ve had alot of different players who have helped us win several games this season. It’s not just one player who contributes. Pitching, defense and timely hitting have been among our biggest strengths in the games that we’ve won this season. In some of our closer games we’ve just been able to get people on base and score when we need to,” Mike Behnke said.

Winning a Lakeland Conference title and hoisting a district championship trophy are two of the Lady Chieftains’ biggest goals.

“We haven’t won a conference title here at Dowagiac since 2007 or a district since 2006,” Mike Behnke said. “There have been countless many times thatr we’ve finished second in conference or fell short in districts.”

Dowagiac’s veteran head coach recently surpassed the 400-win mark for his coaching career with a doubleheader sweep of perennial state power Buchanan on April 16.

“It’s nice to reach that kind of milestone but I tell people it means two things. The first one is that I’m old and I’ve been around awhile. Secondly, I’ve had some really good players and teams to be able to win that many games. It’s the girls that have done it. I just try to get them in the right positions to win those games. They deserve more of the credit than I do,” Mike Behnke said.