MARQUETTE, Mich. – The UW-Stevens Point softball team's offense exploded for 29 runs in a sweep of day two at the Finlandia Dome Classic on Saturday. UWSP downed Marian in walk-off fashion with a 13-12 win. The Pointers (2-2) followed that up with a 16-2 run-rule victory over Northland.
Sophomore
Jen Jacobson (Bolingbrook, IL/Bolingbrook) went 6-for-7 again on day two of the season. She drove in six runs, had five doubles and scored three times.
Fellow sophomore
Justine Ertl (Menomonee Falls, WI/Menomonee Falls) drove in seven runs over the two wins. She had five hits, including two doubles and a triple, to go along with three runs scored.
Paige Allen (South Elgin, IL/South Elgin) had a pair of hits in each game.
Alyssa Cooper (Little Suamico, WI/Bay Port),
Morgan Johnson (Combined Locks, WI/Kaukauna) and
Katie Uhlenbrauck (Hortonville, WI/Hortonville) each contributed three hits on the day.
Game 1 – UWSP 13, Marian 12
Marian jumped out to a 3-0 lead in the top of the first. Three hits and a pair of walks helped MU push across three runs.
After Marian got another run in the second, the Pointers answered. Jacobson was hit by a pitch. Ertl doubled and Uhlenbrauck followed with a walk to load the bases. Johnson singled on the infield to push home a run, but UWSP was held to just one in the inning.
In the bottom of the 3rd, the Pointers put a big two-out rally. Kitzing walked with one away. With two down, Jacobson and Ertl hit consecutive doubles to push home two runs. Uhlenbrauck singled to drive in another and Johnson gave UWSP a 5-4 lead with a RBI single.
The Sabres tied the game with a run in the top of the fourth. UWSP responded with two in the bottom half courtesy of a two-run double by Jacobson.
Marian put up a six-spot in the fifth to take an 11-7 lead. Then in the bottom of the sixth, UWSP again put up a rally. Three consecutive batters reached to begin the inning as Jacobson drove in two with another double. Later in the inning, an unearned run pulled the Pointers to within 11-10.
After the Sabres tacked on a run in the top of the seventh, the Pointers dug deep. Cooper singled to begin the bottom of the seventh. Kitzing replaced her at first on a fielder's choice and advanced to second on a wild pitch. Allen followed with a double to drive home a run. Jacobson doubled again to push home the tying run.
Kirsten Perkinson (Dunlap, IL/Dunlap) pinch ran and moved to third on a wild pitch. Ertl singled for the walk-off win.
Amelia Heup (Milwaukee, WI/Lutheran) struck out three in 2.2 innings of relief. She earned the win after allowing just one earned run.
Game 2 – UWSP 16, Northland 2 (5 innings)
The Pointers opened the game by loading the bases on a pair of walks and a Northland error.
Paige Allen (South Elgin, IL/South Elgin) drove in the first run of the game on a fielder's choice. Following an Allen stolen base, Ertl ripped a triple to right field driving in two.
Paige Kitzing (Mount Pleasant, WI/J.J. Case) capped the four-run inning with a RBI single.
The Lumberjills got a run back in the bottom of the first combining a double and a triple to push home the run.
UWSP pushed home four more runs in the second. Back-to-back ground-rule doubles by Allen and Ertl drove in three of the runs.
Northland scored a run in the bottom of the third, but the Pointers busted the game open in the fourth. Another NC error opened the door for a seven-run frame. Jacobson doubled to drive home the first of the inning.
Katie Uhlenbrauck (Hortonville, WI/Hortonville) and Kitzing added RBI singles.
Payton Mix (New London, WI/New London) drove in two more with a single and
Alyssa Cooper (Little Suamico, WI/Bay Port) kept the inning rolling with a RBI single. After the Pointers loaded the bases,
Alexis Walters (Waterloo, Wis./Waterloo) drew a walk to push home the seventh run of the frame.
Mix capped the scoring with a sac fly in the top of the fifth to make it a 16-2 game, the final.
Heup started and pitched 4.0 innings. She struck out a batter and scattered four hits to pck up her second victory of the day.
UWSP will conclude play at the Finlandia Dome Classic on Sunday against Lakeland and Concordia (Wis.) at 8:00 a.m. and 10:00 a.m. ET, respectively.
