LINCOLN, Neb. – 7^th-ranked Luther College proved why they are one of the top teams in all of NCAA Division III softball as they swept past Nebraska Wesleyan in the first ever Iowa Conference softball doubleheader for the Prairie Wolves.
 
Luther won game one 9-2, then took the second game 10-0 in five innings.  With the wins, the Norse improve to 20-2 overall, while NWU falls to 13-9 on the season.
 
Luther scored two runs in the top of the first inning on three hits to take the early lead.  NWU responded with a run of their own in the first inning as Madi Francis scored on an error from the Norse making the score 2-1.  The Prairie Wolves then tied the game at 2-2 in the second as Nicole Belfiore singled and scored on an RBI single by Nicole Vana.
 
From there, Luther scored seven unanswered runs to pull away.  They tallied three runs in the 3^rd, three more in the 6^th and one in the 7^th.
 
NWU finished with six total hits, compared to 13 for Luther.  Maddy Ethen led the way for NWU going 2-3.  Luther hit two runs on the day as Bailey Victoria went 3-4 with 4 RBI including a HR and double.
 
LeighAnn Novotny took the loss for the Prairie Wolves allowing seven earned runs on 13 hits with four strikeouts.
 
Game two was controlled by the Norse as they scored three runs in each of the first three innings and allowed only one NWU hit the entire game.
 
Jesse Briley allowed eight earned runs and 13 hits to take the loss for the Prairie Wolves.
 
NWU will return to action on Tuesday night as they host Simpson College at University Place Park.