PEORIA, Ill. – The UW-Stevens Point softball team (2-0) swept the two games on opening day at the Blue Angel Invite. The Pointers began the season with a  7-1 win over Edgewood (0-1). Then in the nightcap, UWSP defeated Augustana (1-1) by an 8-3 final.
 
Allie Meyers (Oak Forest, Ill./Oak Forest), Kaitlyn Roberts (Yorkville, Ill./Yorkville) and Jesse Klicker (Spring Grove, Ill/Richmond-Burton Community) had three hits each on the day. Roberts drove in three on the day and Meyers drove in two in game one. Klicker scored three times on the day. Emmie Cibrario (Kenosha, Wis./Tremper), Sophia Heckendorf (Jackson, Wis./Kettle Moraine Lutheran), Hannah Roepke (Blaine, Minn./Spring Lake Park) and Sara Traxel (Oak Creek, Wis./Oak Creek) had two hits apiece on the day. Cibrario and Roepke had two RBI each on the day.
 
Game 1, UWSP 7, Edgewood 1
The Eagles got on the board first with a run in the top of the second on a pair of hits.
 
UWSP immediately responded of the inning. Roepke began the frame with a single to left. Klicker drew a walk and Emma Stolzman (McHenry, Ill./McHenry Community) moved both runners into scoring position with a sac bant. Meyers dropped a bunt and reached first safely with both runners scoring on the play for a 2-1 lead.
 
Roberts led off the third with a single to right-center. Traxel followed with a single through the right side and both runners moved into scoring position on the play. Morgan Harwood (Neenah, Wis./Neenah) was hit by a pitch to load the bases. Roepke drew a walk to push home the first run. Consecutive sac flies by Klicker and Stolzman pushed home two more to up the lead to 5-1.
 
The Pointers added on in the fourth as Meyers led off with a triple to the left field corner. Cibrario reached on a bunt single to Meyers home. Lillie Lindgren (Elburn, Ill./Kaneland) hit a pinch-hit single and Cibrario oved to third on the play. Roberts reached on a fielder's choice and drove in Cibrario for the 7-1 lead.
 
The Eagles threatened in the fifth loading the bases with no outs. Zygowski came in and struck out the side to strand all three runners.
 
Abby Van Beek (Mayville, Wis./Mayville) struck out two in the start.  Harwood tossed 2.2 innings in relief to earn the win and also had two strikeouts. Zygowski struck out six to earn the save.
 
Game 2 – UWSP 8, Augustana 3
Neither team scored over the first three innings. Then in the top of the fourth, UWSP erupted for six runs sending 12 batters to the plate in the frame. Cibrario, Roberts, Traxel and Rachel Baker (Richmond, Ill./Richmond-Burton Community) all had RBI in the inning as UWSP took a 6-0 lead.
 
The Vikings got two runs back in the bottom of the inning on just one hit. Both runs were unearned. AC tacked on another run in the fifth on two hits and two walks.
 
The Pointers extended the lead in the top of the seventh inning. Klicker, Heckendorf, Cibrario and Roepke all had singles in the inning.
 
Elli Matzke (Glendale Heights, Ill./Glenbard North) went 3.2 in the start and struck out two. Zygowski tossed the final 3.1 to pick up the win. She struck out four.
 
The Pointers will face Knox at 10:00 a.m. before closing the weekend out at 12:30 p.m. versus Loras.