Ravens Softball split their home-opening doubleheader Saturday afternoon.

The Ravens dropped Game 1, 6-3, to the Doane Tigers before exploding for a 23-9 win in Game 2.

Game 1

Self-inflicted mistakes hurt the Ravens in the opener. The Tigers scored 6 runs on just 4 hits; the Ravens committed 4 errors in the field and walked 7 batters to help the visitors.

The Ravens gave up 2 runs in the second, 2 more in the third inning, then 1 run each in the fourth and fifth innings, and faced a 6-1 deficit in the bottom of the seventh inning.

Clare Heitz tried to spur a rally in the final inning, hitting a leadoff home run. Kassidy James reach on an error with two outs, then later scored on another Doane error to pull the Ravens to within 3 runs, but the comeback attempt ended there.

Heitz also pitched for the Ravens, going 2.1 innings and giving up 3 runs. She was relieved by Lacey Foster, who went the final 4.2 innings and also gave up 3 runs while striking out three batters.

Game 2

The Ravens bats came alive in the second game. After the Tigers scored 3 in the top of the first, the Ravens grabbed control with a 6-run bottom of the first. The biggest hit of the inning was a 3-run blast by Kera Willoughby, her first career home run. Willoughby wasn't done supplying power, either.

The Tigers answered with 2 runs in the second inning to make the score 6-5 in favor of the Ravens, but the home team put a big number on the board in the bottom of the frame, plating 9 runs to go up 15-5.

Rilee Bell started the scoring with a 2-RBI double, then scored on Natalie Sheffield's single. Willoughby stepped to the plate with two runners on and launched her second 3-run homer in as many innings. Ally Pickering later singled in a run and Bell doubled in another run to cap off the inning.

James doubled in a pair in the third inning, Madison Zaccardo hit a sacrifice fly to score a runner, and Bell hit a 2-run home run to finish off a 5-run Ravens fifth inning. Prior to Bell's home run, Megan Medhus secured her section in the Ravens record book by pounding the 64th double of her career, passing Blair Shanks previous record of 63 doubles.

The final firepower came in the fourth as Kaelyn Fisher pinch hit and knocked a 3-run homer on the first pitch she saw – her first career home run.

Willoughby also started the game in the circle and went 3 innings to earn the win. Abby Pressgrove pitched the final 2 innings, with 3 strikeouts, to finish off the game in 5 innings.

With the split, the Ravens are 2-4 on the season. They'll return to action quickly, hosting Concordia (Neb.) for a home doubleheader at 12 p.m. Sunday, Feb. 26.