LOVES PARK, Ill. – The UW-Stevens Point softball team (14-4) found itself trailing after the top of the first in both games at Rockford University (8-12) on Friday. The Pointers rallied in both for 10-2 and 8-4 wins to extend their win streak to eight games.
Maddie Candre (St. Charles, Ill./East) led the offense with five hits on the day. She scored three runs, rove in two and drew a walk. She also stole a base in each game.
Sara Traxel (Oak Creek, Wis./Oak Creek) and
Allie Meyers (Oak Forest, Ill./Oak Forest) had two hit each in game one. The duo scored three runs each on the day and had five steals combined.
Lillie Lindgren (Elburn, Ill./Kaneland),
Jesse Klicker (Spring Grove, Ill/Richmond-Burton Community) and
Rachel Baker (Richmond, Ill./Richmond-Burton Community) all hit safely in both games. They combined for five RBI in game one. Baker drove in three more in game two.
In the circle,
Makenna Tkach (Streator, Ill./Marquette Academy) pitched five one-hit, scoreless innings in game one.
Ashley Zygowski (Saukville, Wis./Port Washington) earned her eighth win of the season with five frames of one-run ball in game two.
Addison Wythe (Stillman Valley, Ill./Stillman Valley) earned her first career save as well.
Game 1 – UWSP 10, Rockford 2 (6 inn.)
The Regents took a 2-0 lead in the top of the first on three hits. Despite the runs allowed, starter
Abby Van Beek (Mayville, Wis./Mayville) struck out the side in the inning.
Sophia Heckendorf (Jackson, Wis./Kettle Moraine Lutheran) reached to begin the third on a RU error. Candre singled up the middle with Heckendorf moving all the way to third.
Trinity Otto (Mequon, Wis./Homestead) hit a sac fly as UWSP got on the board. Then with two outs, Meyers and Klicker hit back-to-back triples to give UWSP a 3-2 lead.
Traxel started the fifth with a single. Meyers was hit by a pitch and a double steal put two in scoring position. Klicker lined into a sac fly. With two down, Lindgren drove in a run with a single for a 5-2 advantage.
Heckendorf and Candre drew consecutive walks to begin the sixth. Pinch hitter
Hannah Roepke (Blaine, Minn./Spring Lake) hit a triple to push home two runs. Traxel singled to plate Roepke. Meyers singled and Klicker drew a walk to load the bases. Baker then ripped a two-run double to right-center to give UWSP the walk-off run-rule win.
Tkach struck out five in 5.0 of scoreless relief to earn the win. She allowed just one hit and walked just one.
Game 2 – UWSP 8, Rockford 4
Rockford again took the lead in the top of the first with an unearned run on two hits to put UWSP behind 1-0.
In the third, Heckendorf and Candre hit back-to-back doubles to tie the game at 1-1.
Meg Lawrence (Antioch, Ill./Antioch Community) hit a double to start the fourth inning. She moved to third on a groundout. Heckendorf was hit by a pitch and stole second to put two in scoring position. Candre singled to give UWSP a 2-1 lead. Otto hit a sac fly to make it 3-1.
Meyers walked to lead off the fifth. Pinch runner
Alex Theriault (Fort Atkinson, Wis./Fort Atkinson) moved to third on a single by Klicker. Theriault scored on a fielder's choice for a 4-1 lead.
Candre reached on an infield single with one away in the sixth. With two down,
Gabrielle DeCleene (Pulaski, Wis./Pulaski) singled to drive in Candre. Meyers and Klicker drew consecutive walks to load the bases. A wild pitch allowed a run to score. Baker then hit a two-run single for an 8-1 lead.
The Regents got three runs on three hits in the seventh, but Wythe closed to door to earn the save. Zygowski improved to 8-1 on the year with eight strikeouts over 5.0 in the start.
The Pointers will be in action again on Tuesday (April 11) in the WIAC opener against UW-Whitewater. First pitch is set for 2:00 p.m. UWSP's scheduled doubleheader against UW-Superior slated for Saturday has been postponed.
