OSHKOSH, Wis. – The UW-Stevens Point softball team (28-13) earned an 11-1 run-rule win over UW-Eau Claire (28-13) in the opening game of the WIAC Tournament (presented by Culver's) on Friday afternoon.
Sophie Schmidt (Twin Lakes, Wis./Wilmot Union) went 3-for-3 and scored two runs.
Trinity Otto (Mequon, Wis./Homestead) had a double, drew two walks and drove in four.
Allie Schwirtz (Mayville, Wis./Mayville) drove in three on a bases-clearing double.
Kodi Rizzo (Newark, Ill./Newark Community) tossed a complete game and took a no-hitter into the bottom of the fifth.
Otto drew a walk to start the second. She moved to second and third on consecutive groundouts. Rizzo doubled to put UWSP ahead, 1-0.
Schmidt,
Kaitlyn Roberts (Yorkville, Ill./Yorkville) and
Rachael Madsen (Kenosha, Wis./Mary D. Bradford) hit three-straight singles to begin the third.
Ella Smith (Johnsburg, Ill./Johnsburg) singled to push in one run. Otto doubled as all three runners crossed the plate. Two batters later, Rizzo drew a walk and a double steal gave the Pointers a 6-0 advantage.
Schmidt and Roberts hit consecutive singles to open the fourth. Madsen put down a sacrifice bunt to move both runners into scoring position. Otto and Smith drew back-to-back walks to push home one run. Schwirtz followed with a bases-clearing double to make it 10-0. Two batters later, Rizzo hit a single for an 11-0 lead.
The Blugolds broke up the no-hit bid and shutout with one run on three hits in the bottom of the fifth.
Rizzo pitched all 5.0 innings and struck out six. She walked just one and gave up just three hits.
The Pointers advance to face host UW-Oshkosh at 11:00 a.m. on Saturday (May 9). The winner advances to the title game at 4:00 p.m. on Saturday.
