STEVENS POINT, Wis. – Fans at McCarty Memorial Field on Tuesday got to see the UW-Stevens Point softball team (15-5, 1-1) get a walk-off win in game one against UW-Whitewater (15-5, 3-1), the first win by the Pointers in the series since 2007. UWSP nearly made it a sweep coming up just short in a 4-3 defeat in game two with the tying and winning runs on base when the game ended.
 
Emmie Cibrario (Kenosha, Wis./Tremper) supplied the walk-off single in game one, just one of five UWSP hits in the game. But UWSP pitchers Ashley Zygowski (Saukville, Wis./Port Washington) and Makenna Tkach (Streator, Ill./Marquette Academy) did even better giving up just two hits in the shutout.
 
Offense was at a premium again in game two. The Pointers got five hits and UWSP pitchers Abby Van Beek (Mayville, Wis./Mayville), Tkach and Zygowski held UWW to just four hits.
 
Game 1 – UWSP 1, UWW 0
In the second inning, Rachel Baker (Richmond, Ill./Richmond-Burton Community) singled and stole second. Lillie Lindgren (Elburn, Ill./Kaneland) drew a walk, but UWSP stranded both runners.
 
UWSP got a two-out hit from Trinity Otto (Mequon, Wis./Homestead) in the third. She was cut down attempting to steal to end the inning.
 
Allie Meyers (Oak Forest, Ill./Oak Forest) reached on an error in the fourth. Again, the Pointers couldn't get a runner past second.
 
Sophia Heckendorf (Jackson, Wis./Kettle Moraine Lutheran) legged out a two-out infield single in the fifth. She stole second as was stranded as the inning ended.
 
Jesse Klicker (Spring Grove, Ill/Richmond-Burton Community) singled to start the bottom of the seventh. With two down, she stole second. Cibrario stepped in and fouled off three two-strike pitches before blooping the game-winning single into right-center for the walk-off win.
 
Zygowski settled in after walking the lead off batter. She went 4.0 with six strikeouts and just one hot allowed. Tkach pitched the final 3.0 with three strikeouts, one hit allowed and stranded the bases loaded in the sixth to keep the game scoreless. She earned the win, her fifth in as many outings.
 
Game 2 – UWSP 3, UWW 4
The Warhawks turned two hits and two walks into a 2-0 lead in the first inning of game two. UWW added another run in the second on just one hit.
 
Meyers singled with one away in the fourth. Klicker singled to put two aboard. Baker then roped a triple to right-center plating both runners to get UWSP within 3-2.
 
The teams traded solo home runs in the sixth. Sara Traxel (Oak Creek, Wis./Oak Creek) hit her first of the season as the Pointers made it a one-run game again heading to the seventh.
 
Pinch hitter Hannah Roepke (Blaine, Minn./Spring Lake) worked a leadoff walk. Pinch runner Keltie Cloud (Franklin, Wis./Franklin) moved to second on a sacrifice bunt. With two outs, Maddie Candre (St. Charles, Ill./East) drew a walk to put the winning run on base, but UWSP couldn't orchestrate a second walk-off of the day.
 
Van Beek struck out one in 2.0 innings. Tkach tossed the next 4.0 with five punchouts and one hit allowed. Zygowski fanned two in a perfect seventh.
 
The Pointers head to UW-Platteville on Sunday (April 16) for a 1:00 p.m. twin bill.