After opening their season with 16 consecutive road games, the Loper softball team has returned home with an even 8-8 record. The Lopers began their campaign at the Ulili Softball Invitational, facing a mix of NAIA and NCAA Division II opponents.
Weather played a factor in the second weekend of the year. The Lopers made a trip south to Oklahoma for the Raising Canes Invitational. A five-game slate for the Lopers turned to just two after unexpected weather swept through the area. The Lopers went 0-2, with losses to Southern Nazarene and Southeastern Oklahoma State.
Throughout the road stretch, UNK showcased resilience and adaptability. Notably, during the Turf’s Up Invitational, the Lopers secured a dominant 10-1 victory over Cottey College on February 24, with sophomore pitcher Daniella Morillas earning her first win of the season.
Additionally, on March 1, UNK edged out Truman State 3-1, highlighted by sophomore third baseman Alyssa Fortik’s three-run triple and a combined six-hitter pitched by freshmen Jerzie Schindler and Kalli Ulven.
Coach Katie Ackerman expressed her satisfaction with the team’s performance during the challenging road schedule.
“Our players have shown tremendous grit and determination,” Ackerman said. “Facing diverse competition on the road has prepared us well for the rest of the season.”
The Lopers opened up their 2025 home slate on Sunday afternoon against Central Missouri, after the game got moved due to the snow forecast on Friday.
After the Jennies (9-7) hit three home runs to take Game One with a 9-0 victory in five innings, the Lopers rebounded behind Schindler (Central City). She improved to 5-2 by limiting UCM to one run over the first five innings, while sophomore Morillas (Newcastle, Calif.) worked out of two jams to earn her second save.
Schindler walked two and allowed six singles, stranding nine Jennies on base. That included leaving the bases loaded in the second inning and two runners on in the fourth. At the plate, Colorado senior second baseman Rylyn Nelson (1-for-2, walk) laced an RBI double to right-center to give UNK a 1-0 lead in the first. The Lopers added two insurance runs in the fifth after Arizona junior left fielder Alivia De La Cruz led off with a single, and Chvatal drove her home with a line-drive triple to left-center. Chvatal then scored on a wild pitch.
In the top of the sixth, UCM had runners on second and third with one out when leadoff hitter and center fielder Lea Blackman hit a grounder to third. Junior Fortik (Raymond) threw home for the out, and sophomore catcher Gianna Galli (Stockton, Calif.) then fired to second to catch Blackman in a rundown. The Jennies managed a sacrifice fly in the seventh, but a groundout ended the game.
The Griffons (14-7, 3-1) were originally scheduled to visit UNK on March 22 but swapped dates with Northwest Missouri State.
Despite the losses, UNK coach Katie Ackermann saw progress.
“Our offense improved over the last two weeks, and our pitchers stepped up against a strong team,” she said.
In game two, UNK (9-11, 1-3) took a 1-0 lead in the second on a towering home run by senior Rylyn Nelson (Sterling, Colo.). Freshman left-hander Jerzie Schindler (Central City) held Mo West scoreless until the fifth when a double and a pinch-hit single tied the game.
The Lopers had a prime scoring chance in the seventh, putting a runner on third with no outs, but Griffons pitcher Ashlyn Finarty (3-0) escaped unscathed. Missouri Western secured the win in the eighth when Sydney Young delivered a two-out RBI single. A double play ended UNK’s final rally.
Schindler (5-3) threw 128 pitches, allowing one earned run on seven hits with two strikeouts, while Finarty limited UNK to four hits in 82 pitches.
In game one, Missouri Western erased a 1-0 UNK lead with a three-run fifth, adding two insurance runs in the seventh. Veteran Sydney Rader (9-3) tossed a five-hitter.
UNK senior Eden McNally (Castle Rock, Colo.) led the offense with two infield singles and two diving catches. Freshman Bailey Peterson (Oakdale, Calif.) recorded her first collegiate hit, an RBI single.
“We’re the most northern team in the MIAA, so we practice on a gym floor,” Ackermann said. “Mistakes happen, but we’ll clean them up.”
UNK hosts Chadron State (8-12) on Wednesday at 1 p.m. at Dryden Park.
