GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. - The Davenport softball team erased a bad taste out of their mouth in convincing fashion on Monday (May 15) in their opener of the NAIA Opening Round. The Panthers hosted this same four-team Opening Round last year and could not get a win which fueled them throughout the season to get back into this situation. The top-seeded Panthers improved to 44-7 overall and easily defeated fourth-seed Hastings (36-23) in five innings by the final score of 10-1.

Game 2 of Opening Round (Wednesday, May 15 at 3 p.m.)
Final Score: #8 Davenport-10 | Hastings-1
Location: Grand Rapids, Mich.
Records: DU 44-7 | HC 36-23

INSIDE THE BOX
Alexa Flores (3-of-3, GS HR, 5 RBI, SB, 2 R)
McKenzie Rowe (1-for-4, 2 RBI, R)
Lauren French (0-for-1, 2 BB, 2 R, SB, SH)
Alyssa Eastman (2-for-3, 3-run HR, R)
Briana Allen (2-for-3)
Haley Obetts (1-for-3, R)
Kennedy Crawford (0-for-1, 2 R, 2 BB, SB)
Mallory Teunissen (4 IP, 2 H, ER, 4 K)

Davenport jumped out early and often against the Broncos scoring three runs in the top of the first on a three-run homer to left which just cleared the fence by Eastman. Her sixth homer of the season came with two outs on a 2-2 count which also scored French and Flores. DU scored four more runs in the top of the second as Flores unloaded on a high fastball over the left-center field fence on the first pitch she saw for a grand slam with one out. For Flores it was her ninth homer of the season and started to put the game out of reach. The Panthers added three more runs in the top of the third as they knocked Josie Bumgardner out of the circle for Hastings. Obetts singled and Crawford walked before Sarah Barger came into throw. Rowe had a RBI single up the middle which scored Obetts and Crawford for a 9-0 lead. Flores then hit a ball high into the sun and it landed just behind the Hastings shortshop for her fifth RBI of the game and a 10-0 lead. Hastings got their run in the bottom of the fourth as Lexie Linderman launched a solo home run to left center.

Up Next
Davenport will compete against 17th-ranked and two-seeded Rio Grande (Ohio) tomorrow at noon at Farmers Insurance Athletic Complex in a game which should give the winner the upper hand in advancing to the NAIA Softball World Series.