Box Score (Game 1)
Box Score (Game 2)
VERONA, Wis. – With the wind blowing in at Ceniti Park on Wednesday afternoon, one would have assumed there would not have been many runs scored between the Edgewood College softball team and UW-Stevens Point. However, that was not the case as the Pointers outscored the Eagles 15-9 in game one and took the nightcap 6-4.
After one inning of the first game, it looked as though fans were in for a pitcher's duel as neither pitcher did not allow a runner in the frame. All that changed in the second inning as UW-Stevens Point (19-11) took a lead, only to seed Edgewood College (9-17) come back in the bottom half of the inning.
Lauren Watkins gave the Pointers the lead when she belted a two-run home run to center field before Kristen Selbach tallied a sacrifice fly to extend the lead to 3-0.
That did not faze the Eagles as Kristen Salvatore sparked a two-out rally when she took the first pitch she saw out of the yard to get Edgewood College on the board. Rachel Elliott followed with an infield single and advanced to second on a throwing error. She then made it to third on a wild pitch and scored when Pam Sommer reached on an infield single to make the score 3-2.
The Pointers pushed their lead to 5-2 in the top of the third inning before the Eagles exploded for a big inning. After a double play erased a leadoff single, Colleen Joyce sparked a two-out rally with a single to right field. Then Monica Humphrey and Salvatore ripped back-to-back doubles to cut the deficit to one run. Elliott then gave Edgewood College the lead when she uncorked a two-run bomb to straight away center field and the Eagles lead 6-5 after three innings.
However, the Point offense did not slow down as they reclaimed the lead in the fourth with three runs. With the game tied at six, Kaie Krueger ripped a two-run double down the left field line to give the lead back to the Pointers at 8-6.
UW-Stevens Point tallied two runs in the fifth inning to extend their lead to 10-6. The Eagles answered in the bottom half of the inning with two runs of their own as Sommer drew a bases loaded walk and then Monson followed with a single that scored a run and cut the deficit to two.
Nevertheless, the Pointers put the lead out of reach in the sixth inning when the exploded with four runs before tacking on another run in the seventh to take a 15-8 lead. Edgewood College attempted to make a comeback in the seventh inning as Sommer lead off the inning with a single. She later scored on a ground out but the Eagles did not plate any more runs as the fell 15-9.
Elliott, Salvatore and Sommer led the Eagle offense as they tallied three hits apiece. Elliott went 3-for-3 with two runs scored and drove in two more on the her first home run of the season. Sommer also went 3-for-3 and drove in two runs while scoring another. Salvatore went 3-for-4 with three runs scored, two runs batted in and she hit her third home run of the season. Elliott also started the game in the circle and lasted six and two-thirds innings and struck out three Pointers.
In game two, the Pointers jumped out to an early 2-0 lead when the plated two runs in the first inning. Melissa Wenig drove in the first run with a double and the other run scored on a wild pitch.
Edgewood College threatened to answer in the bottom of the inning as Karmen Dorshorst and Jessica Spitzer recorded consecutive one-out singles. However, pitcher Melissa Jones got the next two batters to ground out and end the inning.
Pitching dominated the next three innings as there were only two hits and three base runners between both teams in those innings.
In the fifth inning, the Pointers loaded the bases with just one out and after a walk scored a run the Eagles went to their bullpen. Claire Blake came in with bases loaded and promptly struck out the first batter she faced before getting the next batter to ground out to end the threat.
Edgewood College came back and cut the lead to one in the sixth inning. Dorshorst started the inning with a walk and Spitzer followed with a single to left center field. Both runners moved up a base on a ground out and Dorshorst scored on another ground out to get the Eagles on the board. Spitzer then scored on an error to cut the deficit to 3-2 after six innings.
The Pointers extended their lead in the seventh inning as Wenig recorded a run scoring single. Krueger then gave the Pointers two well needed insurance runs with a two-run home run to left field and UW-Stevens Point took a 6-2 lead into the bottom half of the inning.
Sommer and Emily Monson started a rally in the seventh inning with consecutive singles to start the frame. After a fielder's choice loaded the bases, Spitzer crushed a single that went off the pitchers leg and ricocheted into left field. That single scored two runs for the Eagles and cut the deficit to two runs. However, Jones retired the next three batters to end the game and give UW-Stevens Point the 6-4 victory.
Spitzer paced the Eagle offense in game two as she went 3-for-4 with two runs batted in and scored another run. Brittany Andrews got the start in the circle for the Eagles and lasted four and one-third innings before Blake relieved her and threw the final two and two-thirds innings.
The Eagles will continue their season long home stand on Saturday when they host Dominican University. Edgewood College will provide live stats for the 12:00 p.m. first pitch. The link can be found on EdgewoodCollegeEagles.com.
