The Simpson softball team ended both games after just five innings as the offense dominated in a doubleheader sweep of Central in an American Rivers Conference doubleheader, hitting nine total homeruns winning 11-3 and 18-3 heard live on KNIAKRLS.com.

The Storm and Dutch traded blows early in game one, with Simpson striking first on a solo homerun by Megan Heidelbauer, who broke the single-season RBI record in the process, to put Simpson up 1-0. Central answered with two runs, taking advantage of a throwing error and an RBI hit by Carley Underwood, but Simpson answered with a Heidelbauer RBI single to tie the score going into the third.

Central again took a brief lead on an Alexa Anderson RBI hit, but the Storm took advantage of a fielding miscue by Central to score six runs on a Lexi Ehlers solo homer, a Caelynn Obleton two-RBI double, and a three-run blast from Ashlyn Steen. Simpson then earned three more runs in the fourth on an RBI double by Makayla Fowler and a two-RBI single for Steen to end the game early. Marina Cronin got the win in the circle for Simpson, while Emma Beck took the loss.

Simpson jumped out to an early 3-0 lead in the first two innings of game two, a two-run homerun from Heidelbauer and a Steen RBI double, but Central answered in the third with an Alexa Anderson bases-clearing three-run single to tie the score. Then began the inning that wouldn’t end for Central, as Simpson scored 15 runs in the fourth to put the game away. Steen, Heidelbauer, and Ehlers hit back-to-back-to-back homeruns, Kate Kreigel added a grand slam, and Brielyn Ginnaty hit a solo shot as the Storm batted 18 in the frame.

Kylee Tucker earned the win in relief for the Storm, while Beck took the loss. Storm head coach Brent Matthias said after the game the team took advantage of the windy conditions and were seeing the ball well, and while they will celebrate the wins for now, they will focus their attention on the future games at hand because these two wins can be wiped away immediately if they drop focus on their ultimate goal.

The trio of Steen, Heidelbauer, and Ehlers went 11/17 on the day, driving in 14 runs. Alexa Anderson had the best day at the plate for Central, earning two hits and driving in four.

Central falls to 17-5 on the season and 2-2 in conference play, and will travel to Coe tomorrow. Simpson is now 25-3 and 6-2, and will host Loras tomorrow.