Sports

The Lorian

April 16, 2015

Drews Views

Has Augusta
lost its gusto?
H

photo by Maddy Cole

Junior Julie Kistner makes contact during game one of the Duhawks conference opener with Luther. Luther swept
the Duhawks 13-4 and 8-0.

Duhawks get over the hump

Loras starts conference play 3-5
after 6-game winning streak
by Frank Fernandez | sportswriter

Since we last spoke...

After an up-and-down month of March, the Duhawks (16-14, 3-5 IIAC) find themselves ranked
sixth in the Iowa Conference. After dropping a
pair of close games to Cornell, Loras railed off
six straight wins, knocking off St. Olaf, Rober
Morris and MacMurray in double-headers. They
struggled as conference play began, however,
dropping a pair of games to Luther and splitting
a double-header with Dubuque. Last weekend,
the Duhawks couldnt eclipse that .500 mark,
splitting double-headers with both Buena Vista
and Central. First-year Miranda Chapman has
been a big surprise, leading the team in batting
average and slugging percentage.

The Duhawks (16-14, 3-5 IIAC) headed to Storm Lake sitting at .500 on the
season and looking to gain ground in the
conference standings against the Buena
Vista Beavers.
Coming out swinging, the Duhawks
were able to score three runs in the first.
Despite the early lead, the Beavers responded in the bottom half of the inning
with two runs off senior pitcher Holly
Klein. The Duhawks struck again in the
third when junior Makaila Haase drove in
Klein with a shot into right field, extending the lead to 4-2.
The Duhawks held the advantage 4-3
going into the final frame. However, the
Beavers were able to rally and win game
one on a walk-off, 5-4.
Despite the late meltdown in the first
game, the Duhawks took the early lead
in game two with the help of sophomore
Danielle Stromert. With one on in the
third inning, Stromert blasted a home
run to give the Duhawks the lead, 2-0.
Junior Julie Kistner doubled the advantage with a two-run single in the fifth.
Haase and the defense kept the Beavers
scoreless through the fifth, before they
broke through in the sixth. Leading 6-3
in the bottom of the seventh, Klein came
in and shutdown the rally with back-toback strikeouts to preserve the victory.
That was a really tough way to end
the first game, said Head Coach Ashley

Winter. I was worried that we would still ning of play, but the Dutchs offense came
be reeling, but we showed composure and alive to finish off the Duhawks, 11-6.
played a great game to split the series.
Coach Winter was positive even after
The Duhawks would have a short turn- the loss.
around as they returned home for a SatI was happy with our effort and espeurday afternoon double-header against cially our young players stepping up and
the No.13 Central College Dutch.
leading the way when they needed to,
The Dutch sprang out to a quick lead, Winter said.
scoring two in their half of the first inLenten added, We need to play a conning. It didnt take long for the Duhawks sistent game throughout, especially when
to respond, as they cut the lead in half it comes to the final inning.
when Stromert scored from third and seOn Tuesday afternoon, the Duhawks
nior Katie Serpico survived a pickle long swept Edgewood to finally eclipse the
enough for her to cross the plate.
.500 mark. In game one, senior pitchCentral extended their lead back to er Holly Klein led the Duhawks to a 5-1
two, but the Duhawks continued to fight win. Klein picked up her eighth win of
back. Klein was able to settle in on the the year, pitching a complete game and
mound and keep Central scoreless for the striking out four.
rest of the game as the offense provided
Game two of the afternoon was much
fireworks.
closer. With the game tied at two in the
Trailing by a run in the bottom of the top of the seventh, a clutch right field
sixth, first-year Miranda Chapman blast- single from senior Katie Serpico allowed
ed a round-tripper to dead center to tie first-year Regan Wolverton to score the
up the game. Klein continued her domi- go ahead run. Klein took the mound in
nance, keeping the bats silent in the top of relief of Makaila Haase in the bottom of
the seventh, setting up the Duhawks for a the seventh and struck out two batters to
walk-off victory.
pick up the save.
Serpico opened the frame with a leadThe Duhawks next test will come Satoff single, before being replaced by Klein urday in Indianola, where theyll play a
to pinch-run. A bunt moved Klein into double-header against No. 22 Simpson.
scoring position with Haase
Season statistics
stepping to the plate. She laced
a single up the middle and al(Through Tuesday, April 14th)
lowed Klein to score, giving the
Batting
Duhawks the 4-3 come-from- Player................ G h rbi hr slg% ob% avg
behind win.
Miranda Chapman..14 16 8 3 .829 .537 .457
This was the first Duhawk Katie Serpico...........15 18 11 1 .500 .464 .391
victory against the Dutch since Savannah Fowler....15 13 5 0 .382 .417 .382
the 2012 season. Klein couldnt Danielle Stromert...15 9 8 2 .576 .561 .273
have been more excited.
Regan Wolverton....15 13 5 0 .265 .308 .265
It is a huge win for us be- Bria Lenten.............15 11 13 3 .435 .368 .239
cause we are so young and it Julie Kistner............13 9 8 0 .262 .298 .214
shows that we can play with Nora Zerante...........15 6 5 0 .233 .429 .200
some of the best teams in the Makaila Haase........15 8 7 2 .333 .264 .178
Totals.................15 117 72 11 .400 .390 .274
country, she said.
Game two started out prom- Opponents.........15 118 67 9 .422 .361 .289
Pitching
ising for the Duhawks, as they
played long ball in the first in- Player........... app-gs ip w-l bb so avg era
ning. Stromert and first-year Emma Corkill...........4-0 4.0 0-1 1 5 .214 1.75
Bria Lenten each hit home Makaila Haase......... 8-7 38.0 4-2 17 22 .240 2.95
runs to give Loras the 4-0 lead. Holly Klein............. 12-8 47.2 4-4 18 33 .316 4.41
The two sides were tied at Totals................. 15 97.1 8-7 37 63 .289 4.10
six heading into the final in- Opponents......... 15 98.1 7-8 71 60 .274 4.20
(From statistics available on Duhawks.com)

womens tennis

Dickhut sisters shine in opener

Duhawks sweep Monmouth
in their spring opener

Since
we last
spoke...

by Drew Brashaw |
asst. sports editor

Womens tennis
returned to action
with a bang this past
After finishing
weekend, as the Dutheir fall season
with a 5-8 record, hawks earned a 9-0
the Duhawks got sweep of Monmouth
their season unat home on Sunday in
derway Sunday
with a 9-0 sweep their first dual of the
of Monmouth.
Spring season.
Elizabeth and Jessica Dickhut got the Duhawks started
with an 8-4 victory over Monmouths

Katherine Hinman and Annaliese McDermott in their No. 1 doubles match.

The All-IIAC Dickhut sisters claimed
the first five games to seize control early, and closed out the match with wins
in three of the final five games.
The first-year tandem of Sam Pietruszynski and Kylie DeWees kept
the ball rolling for the Duhawks in the
No. 2 doubles match, earning a 8-2
victory over Katy Folsky and Kimberly Hedgeopeth. In the No. 3 doubles
match, senior Caroline Rainey and
sophomore Maggie Clements finished
the Duhawks doubles sweep with an
8-4 win over Morgan Holle and Cheyanne Groat.

The Duhawks dominant performance in doubles carried over into

the duals singles competition, with
the Dickhuts, DeWees, Rainey, and
Pietruzynski all taking their matches
in straight sets, while first-year Ayla
Graziano claimed a default victory
over Hedgeopeth to complete Loras
9-0 sweep of the Scots.
The victory over Monmouth brings
the Duhawks 2014-15 season record to
(6-8, 3-4 IIAC).
Loras will host the Augustana (19-8)
at 9 a.m. and St. Ambrose (8-12) at 1
p.m. on Sunday. Log on to Duhawks.
com for coverage and results.

ello, friends.
Welcome back. Its
been awhile, but I trust
youve all enjoyed your break
from this column as much as I
have. Not having to write about
sports for the past few weeks
has afforded me the opportunity
to spend more time watching
Drew Brashaw sports, and its a busy time of year
asst. sports editor
for sports-watchers. Like some
of the lesser religions, sports in
America have their own sacred rites of spring.
The manufactured hype of March Madness (sorry,
Bucky); the unwarranted hopefulness of Major
League Baseballs opening day; the uncomfortable
similarities between the NFLs scouting combine/
draft and a slave auction; the decadence and
depravity of the Kentucky Derbyit just wouldnt
be spring without these things.
In my mind, however, only one sporting event
marks the official start of spring, and thats The
Masters.
Augusta Nationals rich history, the litany of
legendary names associated with the tournament,
the iconic green jacket: all of these things make
The Masters a tradition unlike any other. I just
made that up, doesnt it have a nice ring to it? Im
thinking of having it trademarked.
But this year, as I sat and watched the venerated
course being abused as though it were a stepchild whod just brought John Daly a warm beer,
I realized that The Masters has a problem, and for
once it doesnt have anything to do with racism, or
sexism, or any other kind of ism.
The problem with The Masters is that its been
mastered.
I dont mean to take anything away from Jordan
Spieth. The kid played an amazing tournament
from start to finish, and he fended off some
intimidating challengers on Sunday to close out his
championship, but the course didnt put up much
of a fight along the way. Spieth matched Tiger
Woods record-low tournament score of 18-under
while capturing his first major, but the 21-year-old
Texans feat lacks the historic, herculean quality of
Woods win in 1997.
When Woods shot 18-under to claim his first
green jacket in 97, he finished 12 shots clear of
the field. Compare that to this past Sunday, when
Spieths minus-18 put him only four shots clear,
and ten players finished within ten of him. They
were making Augusta look like Bunker Hill out
there, and it underscores the problem: golf has
outgrown Augusta National in its current state.
Tigers record-breaking runaway in 97 marked the
arrival of Superman; Spieths victory marks the
arrival of the age of supermen.
Golfers and their equipment have evolved
dramatically in the eight decades since Augusta
was built, and the course has been repeatedly
updated and adjusted throughout the years to
keep up; remember Tiger-proofing? More than
600 yards have been added to the course since
the 1930s, and theyve moved bunkers around
and steepened greens, but the disparity between
golfer and golf course at Augusta National has
become too great. What were left with is a major
championship venue without any teeth.
This years course was a big, warm hug. It was
as soft and unassuming as the dulcet voice of Jim
Nantz whispering about azaleas over maudlin
music in the shade of the Georgia pines. (Awesome
fact: The Masters theme, Augusta, was composed
by Dave Logginsthird-cousin of Kenny Loggins,
who wrote and performed Im Alright, which
was the theme song for Caddyshack and the No.
1 dance hit for gopher puppets in 1980.) Had Gary
Player decided to keep going after his ceremonial
tee shot found the middle of the first fairway, he
probably would have come in under par.
I dont want to see a major championship won
with a score that belongs on an Xbox game, and Im
afraid thats the direction The Masters is headed.
Arnold Palmer, Gary Player, and Jack Nicklaus
first Masters wins combined didnt equal a score
relative to par as low as Spieths this weekend,
and the scores will only get more ridiculous unless
serious measures are taken to stiffen Augustas
backbone. Im not suggesting giant windmills, but
nobody should be reaching a par-5 in two with an
8-iron in a major championship.
I have a terrible vision of a not-too-distant
future when a grandfather tells a story about a man
named Jack who won 18 major championships. His
grandson will scoff and say: So what? He won six
of them at The Masters.