MADISON, Wis. – Despite an offensive drought over the last few games, the Edgewood College softball team came out swinging in a dominant, 17-6 and 12-4, sweep over Rockford on Wednesday afternoon. Hanna Fisher led the way with six hits and six runs on the day and helped the Eagles to an 8-run inning in game one and a monster 10-run frame in game two.
The Eagles (14-18, 6-12 NACC) shook off their four-game skid and capped their fifth doubleheader in as many days with an emphatic pair of wins. Six starters had four or more hits on the day for an offense that scored 29 runs without the services of their top batter in shortstop and pitcher Amanda Meister.
Led by Sabrina Luedtke's four hits and three RBIs, the Eagles exploded for season-highs in runs and hits (21) in a 17-6, six-inning drubbing of Rockford in game one. A pair of RBI doubles by Luedtke and Jordan Anderson, who finished with two RBIs and three runs scored, highlighted the eight-run, sixth inning and blew the game open in their first run-rule victory of conference play.
Luedtke, Maddy Coppens, and Hanna Fisher each went off for four hits as the Eagles racked up a season-high 21 knocks, including 18 singles. Grace Delleman added two hits and tied the team-lead with three RBIs while Fisher belted her first career triple.
Eight of the nine starters recorded a hit as the Eagles won their first road game of the year.
Eagle starter Shannon Whitmus (8-10) added three hits and three RBIs and also earned the win on the mound. She allowed six runs (four earned), with three of those coming in the sixth with the game out of reach, and scattered eight hits over six innings. Her only major blemish was a two-run home run in the third inning.
For the first time since their victory over Dominican on Sunday, the Eagles took the first lead with a four-run first inning behind three run scoring singles by Coppens, Luedtke, and Whitmus.
Up 9-3, they would put the game away with eight runs in the sixth in a multitude of ways: three RBI singles, two RBI doubles, a sacrifice fly, and two errors. Overall, 10 Eagle runs were scored on RBI singles and four were scored directly off Rockford errors.
The Regents, who have allowed conference opponents to average 10 or more runs per game against them, committed eight errors that led to six unearned Eagle runs.
It was relatively quiet until the Eagles produced 10 runs on eight hits in the third inning to break open a 1-0 game and earn the run-rule victory, 12-4, in the nightcap.
Led by Callie Ziegler and Grace Delleman's two hits and two RBIs each, six Eagles registered multiple hits as they totaled 14 as a team. Laurissa Belott, Fisher, and Delleman scored a combined six runs as the 1-2-3 batters in the order.
The Eagles took advantage of Rockford's four errors and a flurry of doubles in the third. Megan Hauge's 2-run double sparked the rally and the Eagles biggest inning of the year. Five of their runs were scored on doubles, three more on Delleman and Ziegler singles, and two on a pair of errors.
Maddy Coppens (4-3) earned the victory after tossing 3.1 scoreless innings and striking out four. Emma Capuano allowed six hits and four runs in 1.2 innings of relief.
Kaiser led the Regents with three of the team's eight hits.
Overall, the Eagles finished with 35 hits and 29 runs, both season-bests in any doubleheader this season.
The Eagles have a rest day on Thursday before closing out the regular season with a home doubleheader against Concordia Wisconsin on Friday then a doubleheader at MSOE on Saturday.
