Box Score 1 | Box Score 2 RHINELANDER, Wis. – Senior Maddie Candre (St. Charles, Ill./East) led off the season with a home run setting the table for the UW-Stevens Point softball team (2-0) to sweep Marian (0-2) in the season opener on Friday by 4-2 and 6-0 finals.
 
Candre racked up four hits including a home run in each game to lead the Pointers.  She drove in four on the day.
 
Makenna Tkach (Streator, Ill./Marquette Academy) had four hits, two in each game. She also earned a win and picked up a save in the circle. She had 11 strikeouts in 7.2 innings pitched.
 
Jenna Eilers (Stevens Point, Wis./SPASH), Sara Traxel (Oak Creek, Wis./Oak Creek), Becca Geiyer (Grayslake, Ill./Warren Township) and Jesse Klicker (Spring Grove, Ill/Richmond-Burton Community) all had multi-hit days as well. Geiyer had three RBI and Klicker scored twice.
 
Abby Van Beek (Mayville, Wis./Mayville) also earned a win and a save in her UWSP debut. She recorded 10 strikeouts over the twin bill with 6.1 frames.
 
Game 1 – UWSP 4, Marian 2
Candre led off the game with a solo home run to give UWSP an early lead.
 
In the second inning after Marian tied the game, Emmie Cibrario (Kenosha, Wis./Tremper) started a two-out rally with a single. Tkach followed with a base knock putting runners at the corners. Cibrario then stole home to give UWSP the lead. Eilers followed with a triple and Candre plated her with a single for a 4-1 lead.
 
UWSP got a hit in each succeeding inning, but were unable to generate any more runs. Marian tacked on a single tally in the sixth to complete the scoring.
 
Game 2 – UWSP 6, Marian 0
Eilers led off the fifth inning with a single as UWSP looked to break a scoreless tie. Candre followed with a two-run home run. Klicker doubled and two batters later, Geiyer hit an RBI single for a 3-0 lead.
 
In the seventh, Candre led off with a single. Traxel singled putting runners on the corners. Geiyer followed with a two-RBI triple and scored on a groundout for a 6-0 lead.
 
Van Beek and Tkach combined for a one-hit shutout with 12 combined strikeouts in game two.
 
The Pointers return to Rhinelander on Saturday (Feb. 19) for a 1:00 p.m. doubleheader versus St. Norbert.