CLERMONT, Fla. – The UW-Stevens Point softball team (8-2) split a pair of one-run games to open the Florida trip on Friday. UWSP dropped a 3-2 opener to Benedictine (1-0) and capped the day with a 5-4 win over Carthage (3-4).
Maddie Candre (St. Charles, Ill./East),
Jesse Klicker (Spring Grove, Ill/Richmond-Burton Community) and
Abby Van Beek (Mayville, Wis./Mayville) each collected three hits on the day. Candre scored both runs in the first game and drove in a run in game two. Van Beek drove in a run and scored the eventual game-winning run in game two.
Becca Geiyer (Grayslake, Ill./Warren Township),
Sara Traxel (Oak Creek, Wis./Oak Creek),
Makenna Tkach (Streator, Ill./Marquette Academy) and
Rachel Baker (Richmond, Ill./Richmond-Burton Community) added two hits apiece on the day. Geiyer had two RBI and scored twice on the day. Traxel drove in a run and scored once. Baker scored a run in game two.
Game 1: UWSP 2, Benedictine 3
The Eagles manufactured a run in the bottom of the second to take a 1-0 lead.
UWSP answered back in the top of the third. Candre and Klicker hit back-to-back singles with one down. Then with two outs, Traxel dropped a single into left to tie the game at 1-1.
Benedictine again took a one-run lead in the fourth on a pair of hits with a sac bunt squeezed in between.
In the fifth, UWSP responded again. Candre doubled to start the frame. Klicker followed with a single to put runners on the corners. Geiyer lifter a sac fly to left as the Pointers tied the game at 2-2.
The Eagles got a leadoff triple in the sixth and she scored two batters later. Klicker doubled to begin the seventh, but she was stranded there to end the game.
Tkach tossed 4.0 and struck out two. Van Beek pitched the other 2.0 with one strikeout.
Game 2: UWSP 5, Carthage 4
Traxel singled and stole second with two outs in the bottom of the first. She came home on a Geiyer double to right-center. Van Beek followed with an RBi single as UWSP went in front 2-0.
After Carthage got a run back in the second, Baker singled to start the bottom of the frame.
Jenna Eilers (Stevens Point, Wis./SPASH) sacrificed her to second. Candre doubled to push Baker home for a 3-1 lead.
Geiyer started the third inning with a single. Van Beek followed suit and a fielder's choice put runners at the corners. Tkach singled to plate one. Then with two away, Eilers reached on an infield single as another run crossed the plate for a 5-1 advantage.
Carthage plated three runs in the sixth on five hits and UWSP held on for the win.
Van Beek picked up the win with 5.0 innings pitched. She struck out three.
The Pointers will play two on Saturday (March 19) with a 10:00 a.m. ET game against Farmingdale State followed by a 12:30 p.m. ET tilt versus Allegheny.
