DECORAH, Iowa (5/2/2026) — The Nebraska Wesleyan softball team was handed a pair of defeats by American Rivers Conference foe Luther College on Saturday in Decorah to close out the 2026 season. The Norse walked off the game one shootout for a 4-2 victory before edging the Prairie Wolves in the second contest, 7-4. The day's sweep allowed Luther to lock up the three seed in next week's A-R-C Tournament, where they will face six seed Coe College in the first round. NWU finishes the regular season at 14-23 overall and 5-11 in conference play, while Luther wrapped up at 22-16 on the season and 10-6 against A-R-C opponents.
HOW IT HAPPENED
Game One: Nebraska Wesleyan 2, Luther 4
The first game could be described as a slug fest, with the final hit total between both teams adding up to 20. Luther ultimately had the final say with a walk-off finish.
Neither team scored through the first three innings before NWU broke through in the fourth when Kenzie Heedum singled to center and drove home Paige Comstock, who had doubled to open the frame, to make it 1-0. Luther responded in the bottom half to tie it at one, and NWU reclaimed the lead in the fifth when Eva Fahrnbruch came through with an RBI single that scored Jenna Kimberling for a 2-1 advantage.
The Norse answered again in the sixth on an RBI single to make it 2-2, and with one out in the seventh and Raven Allen on base, Madi Elwood crushed a two-run home run to give Luther the walk-off victory, 4-2.
Addyson Maxell led Nebraska Wesleyan offensively, going 3-for-4 with a double, while Taylor Korecky went 2-for-3 and Comstock also added a double. Fahrnbruch and Heedum each drove in a run for the Prairie Wolves. Fahrnbruch absorbed the loss, pitching 6.1 innings and allowing four runs on 12 hits while striking out two. Luther's pitcher was nearly untouchable in the circle, going the distance with seven strikeouts and allowing just two earned runs on eight hits.
Game Two: Nebraska Wesleyan 4, Luther 7
Nebraska Wesleyan jumped out to a quick 1-0 lead in the first inning when Kylie Fullerton singled to right field to score Catie Ingalls, who had singled and advanced on a bunt. Luther came right back with a two-run first and a three-run second, capped by a Chloe Wagner two-run single, to go up 5-2.
NWU pulled back within 5-3 in the fifth when Paige Comstock singled home Taylor Korecky, who had doubled to open the inning. Luther added two insurance runs in the fifth to push the lead to 7-3, and NWU tacked on a final run in the seventh when Ella Wolff scored on an Kenzie Heedum single to make it 7-4, but the Prairie Wolves could not complete the comeback.
Comstock was the offensive standout in game two, going 3-for-4 with a double and an RBI, while Korecky finished 2-for-3 with a double. Jaedyn Ratzlaff took the loss in the circle, going five innings and allowing seven runs on 12 hits, with Fahrnbruch working a scoreless final inning in relief.
UP NEXT
Nebraska Wesleyan's season comes to a close with the doubleheader sweep, ending the year just outside the A-R-C postseason picture.
