Game 1 Box
Game 2 Box

STEVENS POINT – The UW-Stevens Point softball team lost the opening game by a score of 4-1 today, but used a five-run second inning to take game two by a score of 8-0 in five innings over 10th-ranked UW-River Falls at McCarty Field.

The Pointers are now 18-6 overall and 4-4 in the Wisconsin Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (WIAC). The Falcons, who are ranked 10th in the most recent National Fastpitch Coaches Association (NFCA) poll, fall to 22-4 overall and suffer their first conference setback with a 5-1 record.

In game one, the Falcons threatened in the first inning as they had a runner at third with one out. However, on a fly ball to left Niki Schomer (Marinette/Marinette) (Sr.-Marinette) caught the ball and threw out the runner at the plate to get the Pointers out of the jam. River Falls did break through in the second with a RBI single to make the score 1-0.

The Falcons extended their lead in the top of the fourth on a RBI double to right center. The Pointers got their first run of the game in the bottom of the sixth when Korryn Brooks (Stevens Point/SPASH) (Sr.-Stevens Point/SPASH) hit a RBI single to plate Laura Van Abel (Kaukauna/Kaukauna) (Sr.-Kaukauna) and cut the lead to 2-1. However, the Falcons got two unearned runs in the top of the seventh to take a 4-1 lead and Stevens Point did not threaten in the bottom half as the Falcons took game one 4-1.

Hope Krause (Mishicot/Mishicot) (Sr.-Mishicot) (6-3) pitched seven strong innings and had four strikeouts, but came away with the loss. Allison Dorn (Greenville/Fox Valley Lutheran) (Jr.-Greenville/Fox Valley Lutheran) had two hits to lead the Pointers at the plate.

Game two would be a different story as the Stevens Point offense came alive. Danielle Ashbeck (Wabeno/Wabeno) (Sr.-Wabeno) hit a RBI single in the bottom of the first to give the Pointers a 1-0 edge. The Pointers then came back with a five-run second inning. With runners at first and second and one out, Laura Van Abel (Kaukauna/Kaukauna) hit a RBI double to make the score 2-0. Niki Schomer (Marinette/Marinette) followed with a RBI single of her own. Korryn Brooks (Stevens Point/SPASH) then came up and hit a two-run double to right to extend the lead to 5-0. Ashbeck drove in Brooks to make the score 6-0.

On the rubber, Kayla Kastenmeier (Ashwaubenon/Ashwaubenon) (So.-Ashwaubenon) was having no trouble with the River Falls offense. Kastenmeier had six strikeouts and allowed just three hits and did not walk anybody. Stevens Point got another run in third on a Laura Van Abel (Kaukauna/Kaukauna) RBI single. Then in the fourth, the Pointers hit the magic eight-run mark as Danielle Ashbeck (Wabeno/Wabeno) had her third RBI of the game to make it 8-0. The Falcons did not threaten in the fifth as the game ended in five innings 8-0.

Kastenmeier improves to 11-2 this season for the Pointers. Ashbeck was 3-for-3 with three RBIs and Van Abel was 3-for-3 with two RBIs. Brooks was 2-for-2 with a pair of RBIs.
The Pointers will be at home again tomorrow when they face UW-Platteville for a doubleheader beginning at 3 p.m. McCarty Field.