PEORIA, Ill. – The No. 23 UW-Stevens Point softball team (1-1) split games on Opening Day at the Blue Angel Invite on Thursday. The Pointers shut out Wisconsin Lutheran (0-2) by a 5-0 final before dropping a 7-4 score to Augustana (1-0) in the nightcap.
 
Kaitlyn Roberts (Yorkville, Ill./Yorkville) had three hits on the day, all extra-base hits. She had a home run, triple and double on the day with two walks and three runs scored. Trinity Otto (Mequon, Wis./Homestead) also had a home run on the day.
 
Hailee Thompson (Bonduel, Wis./Bonduel) had four hits, three of which were doubles, and drove in four on the day. Jesse Klicker (Spring Grove, Ill/Richmond-Burton Community), Sawyer Holberg (Wisconsin Rapids, Wis./Lincoln) and Emmie Cibrario (Kenosha, Wis./Tremper) each had a hit in both games.
 
Kodi Rizzo (Newark, Ill./Newark Community) earned her first win with 10 strikeouts and no runs allowed in her collegiate debut in the circle.
 
UWSP 5, WLC 0
Roberts hit a solo home run to lead off the bottom of the first. Baker and Klicker hit back-to-back singles, and a double steal put both in scoring position. Thompson hit a sac fly for a 2-0 lead.
 
In the fifth inning, Baker sparked a two-out rally with a double. Klicker was hit by a pitch. Thompson singled to drive in Baker. A wild pitch scored a second run of the inning. Holberg ripped an RBI single through the right side to make it 5-0.
 
Rizzo was dominant in her first career start for the Pointers. She went 6.0 inning in the start with 10 strikeouts, including two with the bases loaded in the second inning. Caitlin Hartsell (Montgomery, Ill./Oswego) pitched a perfect seventh to seal the shutout win.
 
UWSP 4, Augustana 7
Roberts started game two with a double off the wall, missing her second home run of the day by mere feet. Thompson doubled with two outs to put UWSP in front, 1-0.
 
In the second inning, Otto walloped the first pitch she saw over the fence in right-center to push the advantage to 2-0.
 
Holberg and Cibrario hit consecutive two-out singles in the third to put runners on the corners. Cibrario induced a lengthy rundown as Holberg scored the third run of the game.
 
The Vikings turned five hits into four runs in the bottom of the third to put UWSP down, 4-3.
 
Roberts led off the fifth with a triple, again just missing a home run. Thompson came through again with two outs with an RBI double to tie the game at 4-4.
 
Augustana pushed across three runs in the bottom of the fifth on a walk and just one hit. Five sacrifice bunts contributed to the chaos of the inning.
 
UWSP got a walk from Roberts and a single by Klicker in the seventh to bring the tying run to plate. But a line drive was snagged in right to end the threat.
 
Morgan Harwood (Neenah, Wis./Neenah) struck out six in 2.0 innings of work. Ashley Zygowski (Saukville, Wis./Port Washington) had three strikeouts in 4.0 innings of relief.
 
The Pointers take on Edgewood at 8:00 a.m. and Elmhurst at 12:30 p.m. on Friday (Feb. 21) to close out opening week action.