NORWALK, Iowa – Needing to win one game to secure a spot in the conference postseason tournament, the Nebraska Wesleyan softball team came up short as they were swept by the University of Dubuque on Sunday afternoon (April 28) at Norwalk High School in Norwalk, Iowa.  The games were originally scheduled for Saturday in Dubuque, Iowa but were forced to be moved back a day and change locations due to weather conditions.
 
Nebraska Wesleyan finished the season at 22-14 and 7-9 in American Rivers Conference play.  NWU and Simpson tied for 6^th in the A-R-C standings with 7-9 records, but the Storm earn the tiebreaker by sweeping the Prairie Wolves earlier in the year.  The Prairie Wolves were as high as third in the league standings in early April then lost seven of their last eight games.
 
The Prairie Wolves held leads in both games of the doubleheader however the Spartans rallied back both times.
 
In the opening game both team's starting pitchers were in control.  Spartan pitcher Abby McBee allowed only one run on six hits with NWU pitcher Kailey Meyer giving up just five hits and two runs. 
 
NWU scored their only run in the top of the 2^nd inning when Meyer led off the inning with a solo home run to left field.  That would be the only run of the game for the Prairie Wolves.  They also threatened in the 3^rd inning with back-to-back singles to put two runners on with only one out, but the runners were stranded.  Only one NWU runner reached second base the rest of the game.
 
Dubuque scored their only runs in the 3^rd inning on a pair of RBI doubles.  The Spartans had only one base runner the final three innings, but the NWU offense couldn't break through.
 
Game two setup as a winner take all matchup in the regular season finale.  The winning team would earn a postseason berth and the losing team would have their season come to a close.
 
The Spartans got on the board first with one run in the 2^nd inning.  NWU responded to take the lead in the 4^th inning when they put together a huge inning.
 
NWU scored four runs in the top of the 4^th on three hits to take a three-run advantage.  Taylor Styskal entered as a pinch hitter and responded with a two-run single.  Later in the inning Rachel Mundt singled to drive in a run, then the final run was Stystal scoring on a passed ball.
 
That three run-lead was cut down in the 5^th inning when Dubuque scored two runs on four hits.
 
Trailing 4-3 in the 6^th inning, the Spartans were able to score five runs in the bottom of the inning to break the game open and end NWU's postseason hopes.  Three straight singles loaded the bases, then a walk brought the first run in to tie the game at 4-4.  A costly infield error gave the Spartans their first lead scoring two runs.  They added two more unearned runs on a 2-run single to make the score 8-4.
 
NWU was unable to answer in the top of the 7^th as they saw their promising season come to a close.  The Prairie Wolves finished with six hits in the game, led by Payton Swanson who was 2-3.  Grace Sommer pitched the first five innings allowing two earned runs and eight hits.  Meyer took the loss pitching the final inning giving up five runs, only one earned.
 
Morgan Shipley had a hit in each game to end the year on a five-game hitting streak.  She hit in 21 of the final 22 games and ends the year batting a team-high .419 to tie for 7^th all-time in NWU history.
 
Nebraska Wesleyan loses only one senior, Danelle Snyder, who was a four-year starter during her career with the Prairie Wolves and ranks in the top five for most games played.