CLERMONT, Fla. – Freshman
Haley Barnes (Crystal Lake, Ill./Prairie Ridge) picked up her first career win as the UW-Stevens Point softball team (2-6) defeated Marietta College (7-4) by an 8-5 score in game one on Saturday. The Pointers dropped game two to Nebraska Wesleyan (10-4), 7-4.
Barnes tossed five scoreless innings and allowed just three hits to Marietta. She struck out one and walk just a single batter.
Offensively, fellow freshman
Maddie Candre (St. Charles, Ill./East) collected four hits on the day. She scored three times against Marietta and drove in a pair on the day.
Sophomore
Rachael Wakefield (River Falls, Wis./River Falls) also had four hits over the two games. She scored one run.
Ashley Cohen (Wheaton, Ill./Glenbard South) and
Lauren Luedtke (Lomira, Wis./Lomira) had three RBI each in the win over Marietta. Both had three hits on the day. Luedtke scored two runs and Cohen crossed the plate once.
Game 1 – UWSP 8, Marietta 5
Candre singled with two away in the first and moved to second on an error. Cohen followed with a single to give UWSP a 1-0 lead.
Sammy Buerger (Oshkosh, Wis./North) doubled to start the third inning. Candre singled again to put runners at the corners. Cohen drove in a run with a bunt single. Luedtke followed with a triple to plate two runs. Two batters later,
Jordyn Hynst (West Bend, Wis./East) pushed home Luedtke with an RBI ground out to make it 5-0.
In the sixth, Wakefield started the frame with a single. After a Buerger walk put runners on the corners, Candre single to drive home one. Cohen followed with an RBI single and Luedtke drove in the third run of the inning on a ground out.
In the bottom of the sixth, Marietta scored five runs on five hits and an error. The Pioneers' rally ended after an unreported reentry.
Game 2 – UWSP 4, NWU 7
The Prairie Wolves took a 3-0 lead in the second on a pair of doubles and three walks.
UWSP battled back in the fourth. Luedtke led off with a single.
Madi Greenaberg (Downers Grove, Ill./North) reached on an error and Barnes drove in a run with a single.
Anna Palicka (Lisle, Ill./Lisle) drew a walk to load the bases. Two batters later,
Morgan Johnson (Combined Locks, Wis./Kaukauna) and Buerger had back-to-back RBI singles to tie the game at 3-3. Candre drove in the go-ahead run on a fielder's choice.
The Pointers' lead held up until the seventh. Three walks and three hits led to four runs for NWU and the Prairie Wolves took a 7-4 lead.
UWSP was unable to take advantage of an NWU error in the bottom of the seventh.
Palicka pitched 6.1 innings with three strikeouts. Barnes finished the game with 0.2 scoreless innings.
The Pointers return to action on Monday (March 18) against Wesleyan and Hope. The first game starts at 10:15 a.m. CT.
