FITCHBURG, Wis. (April 28, 2005) – The Edgewood College softball team captured the Lake Michigan Conference championship outright, its first conference title since 1996, by splitting with Concordia University on Thursday. The Eagles (25-13, 12-2 LMC) won game one 5-3 before falling by a final score of 5-4 in the regular season finale from McGaw Park.
With the win in game one, Edgewood clinched sole possession of first place in the LMC and will be the No. 1 seed in the upcoming conference tournament, which starts this Tuesday, May 3.
Edgewood led 2-1 in game one going into the bottom of the second when Jessica Stephens (St. Charles, Ill.) stepped up to the plate. With runners on second and third base and two outs, Stephens blasted an 0-2 pitch over the center field fence to give the Eagles a 5-1 advantage.
Stephens’ first homerun of the season proved to be the difference, as Concordia added two runs in the top of the fifth, but was shutdown the remainder of the contest by Edgewood starting pitcher Brittany Butcher (St. Charles, Ill.). Butcher gave up nine hits in seven innings of work, including three earned runs. She struck out four and walked three.
Offensively, Jessica Stephens went 3-for-4 with three RBI and a run scored. Jennifer Stephens (St. Charles, Ill.) batted a perfect 4-for-4 with a run, while Katie Hensgen (Waunakee, Wis.) and Butcher both collected a pair base hits.
Concordia (15-15, 10-4 LMC) held an early 2-0 lead in game two. The Falcons scored two unearned runs in the top of the first inning off of two Eagle errors. However, Edgewood came back to tie the score at 2-2 in the top of the third inning thanks to three Concordia miscues.
The Falcons regained the lead in the bottom of the fifth inning by plating three runs, including a two-run homer by Angela Rintelman. Edgewood got two runs back in the top of the seventh and had the tying run on second base, but Concordia pitcher Angi Hilgendorf got Amy Bahler (Monroe, Wis.) to foul out to left field to end the game.
Bahler went the distance for the Eagles in the pitcher’s circle, allowing seven hits in six complete innings. She gave up five runs, only three of which were earned, and struck out five without issuing a walk. Hensgen, Bahler, and Christine Kohlman (Prairie du Sac, Wis.) garnered two hits each for the Eagles.
Edgewood will play host to either Maranatha Baptist or Milwaukee School of Engineering in the LMC play-in game on Tuesday, May 3 in a single game beginning at 4 p.m. at McGaw Park. The winner will advance to the LMC’s double elimination tournament hosted by MSOE May 6-7. Edgewood won the LMC tournament championship in 2004 to earn their first-ever NCAA tournament berth.
For more information on the LMC tournament visit: www.lakemichiganconference.org.
