UW-Stout 4, Bethel University 2 |
Luther College 13, UW-Stout 1 (6 inn)
ROCHESTER, Minn (February 25, 2017) -
Rachel Thomas drove in the eventual game-winning run in a 4-2 season opening win and UW-Stout stayed with sixth ranked Luther College until the Norse broke through late in the game and the Blue Devils split a pair of games at the Luther College Dome Invitational at the Rochester Dome.
Stout and Bethel traded runs early with the Royals scoring in the bottom of the first after Wendy Robert led off the inning with a triple, then came home on Mariah Uphof's single.
The Blue Devils got on the board for the first time this season when
Heather Bol led off the second with a double, moved to third on
Kaylee Francois' single and scored on
McKayla Brunner's ground out to short stop.
Bethel regained the lead in the fourth inning on a groundout RBI by Alexa Hanows.
The Blue Devils took the lead in the fifth inning.
Alicia Meyer drew a one-out walk, then moved to second on Mariah Dierck's single.
Kyncaide Diedrich reached on an error. Meyer was thrown out at home, but Diercks moved to third and Diedrich to second. Thomas plated both players with a single.
Stout added an insurance run in the top of the sixth inning when
Kaitlin Murray, pinch running for Bol, scored when Meyer reached on an outfield error.
Beth Wood recorded the win, striking out five and surrendering three hits.
Jessica Daley made her first collegiate appearance and pitched her way out of a jam in the bottom of the seventh to record a save.
Thomas was 2-for-4 with two RBI.
Kim Jablonski, Bol, Francois and Diercks each recorded a hit. Uphoff and Wendy Roberts were 2-for-4 for the Royals.
In the second game, both teams scored in the first inning. Luther scored in the top of the first inning on an RBI single by Anna Strien. Stout answered back in the bottom of the first. With one out, Diedrich singled, then stole second and came home on Wood's single.
The next two innings were scoreless, but Luther began to break the game open in the fourth with five runs, added a single run in the fifth and did break the game apart with six runs in the sixth. Stout got a runner on in the bottom of the sixth, but did not score and the game was called by the 8-run rule.
The Blue Devils were limited to three runs, all coming at the top of the lineup as Thomas, Diedrich and Wood each had a hit. The Norse Natalie Stockman and Blake Banowetz were 3-for-4 as Luther rapped out 16 hits.
The Blue Devils are off until beginning their annual spring break trip where they will play 10 games in the Myrtle Beach, S.C., area.
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