RIVER FALLS, Wis. – The UW-Stevens Point softball team's offense posted a bevy of runs early in game one and late in game two in a sweep at UW-River Falls (14-16, 2-6) on Wednesday. The Pointers (18-8, 4-4) took game one, 11-6, before finishing the sweep with an 8-1 win in game two.
Trinity Otto (Mequon, Wis./Homestead),
Sophia Heckendorf (Jackson, Wis./Kettle Moraine Lutheran),
Jesse Klicker (Spring Grove, Ill/Richmond-Burton Community) and
Hannah Roepke (Blaine, Minn./Spring Lake) all recorded multiple RBI in one of the games.
Maddie Candre (St. Charles, Ill./East),
Rachel Baker (Richmond, Ill./Richmond-Burton Community) and Heckendorf had two hits apiece in game one. Candre, Klicker and Roepke had two hits each in game two with
Sara Traxel (Oak Creek, Wis./Oak Creek) adding three base hits.
Ashley Zygowski (Saukville, Wis./Port Washington) improved to 9-2 with 4.0 perfect innings in game two. She struck out seven on the day.
Game 1 – UWSP 11, UWRF 6
Candre tripled to begin the game. Two batters later, Klicker drew a walk. Otto singled to plate the first run. Baker followed with an RBI double and Roepke hit a sac fly for a 3-0 lead.
Allie Meyers (Oak Forest, Ill./Oak Forest) singled to drive in another as UWSP went up 4-0.
Zygowski singled with one down in the second. An error and a single by Traxel loaded the bases. A wild pitch plated one run. Another UWRF error allowed two more runs to score and UWSP led 7-0.
After the Falcons got a run in the second, Roepke led off the third with a walk. Pinch runner
Keltie Cloud (Franklin, Wis./Franklin) moved to second on a wild pitch. Heckendorf hit a single to plate Cloud. With two outs, Candre tripled again to drive in a run. Traxel walked and stole second with another run scoring for a 10-1 advantage.
UWRF got single runs in the third and again in the fifth. The Falcons scored three times on two hits in the sixth to get within 10-6.
Baker drew a walk to start the seventh and stole second. With two away Heckendorf doubled to push the lead to 11-6.
Zygowski struck out three in 3.0 innings.
Makenna Tkach (Streator, Ill./Marquette Academy) fanned one and got the win with 2.2 innings in relief.
Game 2 – UWSP 8, UWRF 1
Traxel singled in the first inning and neither team had a base runner until another Traxel single to lead off the fourth. A fielder's choice, error and stolen base put two in scoring position. Baker dropped a sac bunt and another UWRF error allowed two runs to score. Roepke singled to make it 3-0.
In the fifth, Heckendorf walked to start the frame. With one out, Candre singled. Klicker drove in a run with a two-out single for a 4-0 lead.
Baker drew a walk to begin the sixth. She moved to second on a wild pitch and scored on a double by Roepke.
Lillie Lindgren (Elburn, Ill./Kaneland) kept the inning going with a single. With two down, Candre reached on an infield single to put UWSP in front, 6-0.
After UWRF got a run in the sixth, Traxel singled again to start the seventh. Klicker hit a triple to drive in a run. Cloud hit an RBI groundout to up the lead to 8-1.
Zygowski was perfect over the first 3.0 and again in the seventh to earn the win. She struck out four while facing the minimum. Tkach struck out two in 3.0 innings of relief.
UWSP will head east on Thursday (April 27) for a non-conference doubleheader at St. Norbert. First pitch is slated for 3:00 p.m.
