DUBUQUE, Iowa - The University of Dubuque softball team honored their seniors on Saturday, but the timely hits didn't come to fruition in a 1-3 loss to the Simpson College Storm.

UD scored one run off six hits while committing an error. The Spartans were held scoreless through six innings before senior Brooke Goodman singled and advanced to second on an error. A flyout put Alyanna Martinez up to bat. She singled and sent Goodman home for the RBI. Martinez stole second and would be stuck there as UD ended the inning with a foul out at third base and a ground out at first base.

The Spartans left eight runner on base in the loss. Alyanna Martinez finished (2-4) and had two of the teams six hits.

UD (22-17 overall, 10-14 in the A-R-C) will travel to Waverly, Iowa next week for the opening round of the 2021 American Rivers Conference Softball Tournament. This year's conference tournament will feature a two-pod format with the winners of each pod meeting for a best-of-three championship series. The top two seeds will earn the opportunity to host the pods, with the highest remaining seed hosting the championship series. The format will be a double-elimination tournament with the exception of the 8/9 play-in game which will be a single game, taking place Wednesday, May 12 at the No.1 seed. 

The #7 seeded Spartans will face the host #2 seeded Wartburg College Knights in Pod #2 on Thursday, May 13 at 12 p.m. This year's American Rivers Conference AQ bid will be awarded to the regular season conference champion, out of the 24-game conference schedule adopted for this season only. This year's NCAA Division III Championship will take place Thursday-Tuesday, May 27 through June 1 at Moyer Park in Salem, Virginia. 

2021 A-R-C Tournament Seeding
#1 seed - Coe College (23-11 overall)
#2 seed - Wartburg College (26-8 overall)
#3 seed - Central College (18-11 overall)
#4 seed - Luther College (24-13 overall)
#5 seed - Simpson College (16-16 overall)
#6 seed - Nebraska Wesleyan University (13-19)
#7 seed - University of Dubuque (22-17)
#8 seed - Buena Vista University (15-20)
#9 seed - Loras College (2-25)

TOURNAMENT SCHEDULE
(Subject to change)

Wednesday, May 12 | (Play-in game)
No. 8 Buena Vista vs. No. 9 Loras at No. 1 seed | Tentative - 3:00 p.m.

Thursday, May 13 and Friday, May 14
Pod 1 | Seeds 1, 4, 5 8/9 | at Coe College (Cedar Rapids, Iowa) 

Thursday, May 13
Game 1 - No. 4 Luther vs. No. 5 Simpson @ 10:00 a.m.
Game 2 - No. 8 BVU/No. 9 Loras vs. No. 1 Coe @ 12:00 p.m.
Game 3 - Loser 4/5 vs. Loser 1/(8/9) @ 2:00 p.m.
Game 4 - Winner 4/5 vs. Winner 1/(8/9) @ 4:00 p.m.

Friday, May 14
Game 5 - Game 3 winner vs. Game 4 loser @ 12:00 p.m.
Game 6 - Game 4 winner vs. Game 5 winner @ 2:00 p.m.
*Game 7 - Played if Game 5 winner WINS Game 6 @ 4:00 p.m.

*if necessary game

Pod 2 | Seeds 2, 3, 6, 7 | at Wartburg College (Waverly, Iowa)
Thursday, May 13
Game 1 - No. 6 Nebraska Wesleyan vs. No. 3 Central @ 10:00 a.m.
Game 2 - No. 7 Dubuque vs. No. 2 Wartburg @ 12:00 p.m.
Game 3 - Loser 3/6 vs. Loser 2/7 @ 2:00 p.m.
Game 4 - Winner 3/6 vs. Winner 2/7 @ 4:00 p.m.

Friday, May 14
Game 5 - Game 3 winner vs. Game 4 loser @ 12:00 p.m.
Game 6 - Game 4 winner vs. Game 5 winner @ 2:00 p.m.
*Game 7 - Played if Game 5 winner WINS Game 6 @ 4:00 p.m.

*if necessary game

Saturday, May 15 | (Championship series, best-of-three)
Game 1 - Pod 1 winner vs. Pod 2 winner 
at highest seed | 12:00 p.m.

Game 2 - Pod 1 winner vs. Pod 2 winner
at highest seed | 2:00 p.m.

Sunday, May 16
Game 3 - Pod 1 winner vs. Pod 2 winner (if necessary...)
at highest seed | 1:00 p.m.