MILWAUKEE, Wis. – As her career winds down, senior Megan Hauge has been coming up clutch and today was no different. Hauge posted a team-high three hits, including the go-ahead, 2-run double in a thrilling 6-5 victory over MSOE in game one. No such luck in a 9-3 game two loss as the Eagles earned the split in their final road doubleheader of the season.
Hauge finished with four hits on the day after adding an RBI single in the nightcap. She is hitting .315 on the year and working on a career-best 8-game hitting streak after today's doubleheader.
Veteran center fielder Grace Delleman boosted a 3-run home run to set up Hauge's game winner in the seventh and the Eagles (15-19, 7-13 NACC) beat the Raiders, 6-5, in game one.
Tied at one apiece, Delleman delivered a 3-run blast with two outs to put the Eagles up 4-1 in the fifth inning. It was her team-leading fourth long ball of the year and first since her two home-run game against Lakeland on April 10.
The Raiders (24-11, 11-8 NACC) responded with two runs each over the next two innings to take a brief 5-4 lead heading into the final inning. That's when Hauge worked some 2-out magic to score Amanda Meister and Laurissa Belott, who reached on a walk and a single, respectively, for her first career game winner.
Manssen had two hits for the Raiders, who saw their 7-game win streak snapped.
Shannon Whitmus (9-11) earned the win in relief and escaped a tense seventh inning. With two on and two out, she forced a fielder's choice ground out to seal the win. She tossed 1.1 innings and gave up one hit.
Starter Amanda Meister hurled 5.2 innings and gave up four runs (two earned). Her only two strikeouts came against the reigning NACC Position Player of the Year Emily Snow. The catcher was limited by Meister, but finished 4-for-5 the rest of the day.
Leftfielder Hanna Fisher had a double and a triple, but it wasn't enough in a 9-3 game two loss to MSOE and their shutdown reliever Sara McConnell.
After Hauge opened the game with an RBI single in the first, MSOE countered with four runs, including three unearned, in the bottom half to open up a 4-1 lead. The Raiders added three more runs on an RBI double and 2-run single in the bottom of the fourth to push the advantage to 7-2.
Any chance at an Eagle comeback was thwarted by MSOE reliever Sara McConnell over the final three frames. McConnell allowed a leadoff hit in each inning, but struck out the final three batters in the fifth, sixth, and seventh. All nine of her outs were strikeouts.
Fisher, starter Shannon Whitmus, and Delleman, who added an RBI single in the seventh, each finished with two hits.
Whitmus suffered the loss after allowing seven runs (four earned) and eight hits over 3.2 innings. One of the most heavily used pitchers in Eagle history, Whitmus is now one appearance away from tying the all-time record of 107 career appearances with two games remaining.
MSOE starter Liz Gale remained undefeated and improved to 7-0 after giving up six hits and two unearned runs over four innings. Snow led the offense with three hits, three runs, and two RBIs.
With the loss against MSOE, the Eagles were eliminated from NACC tournament contention and will now play their season finale against Concordia Wisconsin on Monday, April 30 at noon at Ceniti Park.
