CLERMONT, Fla. – For the second time this season and the fourth time in her career, sophomore
Morgan Harwood (Neenah, Wis./Neenah) pitched a no-hitter pitching 6.2 hitless frames in an 11-3 win over the University of New England (3-6) on Friday. Then in game two on the final day in Florida, the No. 16 UW-Stevens Point softball team (17-3) got a one-hit shutout in an 8-0 run-rule win over Keuka (0-8).
Harwood struck out 14 in 6.1 innings of no-hit bid against UNE. She retired the first six UNE hitters by swinging strikeouts.
Caitlin Hartsell (Montgomery, Ill./Oswego) pitched 0.1 innings in the no-hitter.
Ashely Zygowski was nearly as dominant against Keuka striking out nine in 4.0 innings. She allowed the only hit of the day for the Pointers.
Kodi Rizzo (Newark, Ill./Newark Community) fanned the side in a hitless fifth inning.
Offensively,
Hailee Thompson (Bonduel, Wis./Bonduel) and
Sophie Schmidt (Twin Lakes, Wis./Wilmot Union) had three hits each on the day. Thompson scored twice in each game. Schmidt had four RBI on the day and scored a run in each game.
Jesse Klicker (Spring Grove, Ill/Richmond-Burton Community),
Emmie Cibrario (Kenosha, Wis./Tremper),
Hannah Roepke (Blaine, Minn./Spring Lake Park) and
Trinity Otto (Mequon, Wis./Homestead) each had two hits on the day.
Game 1 – UWSP 11, UNE 3
Schmidt drew a one-out walk in the second inning. She moved to second on a single by Cibrario. Otto walked to load the bases.
Sophia Heckendorf (Jackson, Wis./Kettle Moraine Lutheran) drove in a run on a fielder's choice. Cibrario then stole home for a 2-0 lead.
Thompson drew a base on balls to start the third. Two batters later,
Ella Smith (Johnsburg, Ill./Johnsburg) reached on a fielder's choice as UWSP had two aboard. A wild pitch moved both runners into scoring position. Schmidt roped a double to the wall in left-center to up the lead to 4-0. Two batters later, Otto singled to plate pinch runner
Parker Zipperer (Neenah, Wis./Neenah) for a 5-0 advantage.
The Pointers tacked on a run in the fourth without a hit. Klicker was hit by a pitch, Roepke drew a walk as did Thompson to load the bases. A fielder's choice allowed a run to score for a 6-0 lead.
Thompson singled to begin the sixth.
Kaitlyn Roberts (Yorkville, Ill./Yorkville) was hit by a pitch. With two away, Cibrario clobbered a double over the left fielder to push home both runners.
UNE got on the board in the sixth without a hit to extend the game. Two walks, a hit batter, an RBI groundout and a UWSP error allowed three runs to cross the plate.
In the seventh, Klicker drew a walk and stole second. She scored on a UNE error.
Paige Kislow (Weston, Wis./D.C. Everest) belted a double over the center fielder to plate another run. Schmidt singled to give UWSP the 11-3 final.
Game 2 – UWSP 8, Keuka 0 (5 inn.)
UWSP took the lead in the bottom of the first with a run on two Keuka errors.
Schmidt started the second inning with a single and moved to second on a sac bunt. Otto singled up the middle and raced all the way to third on another Keuka miscue. Heckendorf hit an RBI groundout for a 3-0 lead.
Keuka got a one-out double in the fourth inning for the first and only hit of the day that Pointers pitchers allowed.
Heckendorf singled to start the bottom of the fifth. Klicker doubled.
Rachel Baker (Richmond, Ill./Richmond-Burton Community) drove in both runners with a single. Thompson also singled. After both runners stole to get into scoring position, Roberts hit a sac fly for a 6-0 lead. Roepke hit a double to put two in scoring position again. A wild pitch scored a run. Schmidt completed the walk-off run-rule win with a sac fly.
The Pointers return to Wisconsin and will face Loras in the home opener on March 30 in a 1:00 p.m. doubleheader.
