UW-Stout 9, Concordia-Chicago 8
RIVER FOREST, Ill (March 30, 2018) - UW-Stout used the long ball to rally back from a four-run deficit to defeat Concordia-Chicago, 9-8, Friday morning. The game was originally scheduled for March 25, but was postponed because of weather conditions. Only one game was played.
The Blue Devils (11-2), playing their first game in two weeks, took an early 4-0 lead, then saw Concordia (9-6) run out to an 8-4 lead .
Stout erased the Cougars' four-run lead with a pair of home runs in the top of the seventh. With one out, pitcher
Beth Wood doubled to left center and
Kaylee Francois launched a bomb to right center to cut the lead to 8-6.
Alicia Meyer drew a walk and
Kate Horn came on to pinch run. Horn moved into scoring position on
Renee Murphy's single to center field. Following a strikeout, freshman
Sommer Kunstmann unleashed her team-leading third home run of the season, clearing the bases and giving Stout the one-run lead.
Wood forced a fly out and a ground out, before Taylor Kulaszewicz reached on an infield error. Wood got the third out via a strike out.
The Blue Devils controlled the game early, running out to a 4-0 lead.
Renee Murphy hit a solo home run in the second to give Stout a 1-0 lead. Stout doubled their tallies in the third inning. Francois drew a two-out walk, stole second, then moved to third on a passed ball. Meyer sliced a single up the middle to plate Francois.
Stout doubled their score in the fourth inning. Kunstmann singled with one out and
Katelyn Schobert came on to run. Schobert moved to second on a wild pitch, then took third on a caught foul ball.
Rachel Thomas drew a walk and with runners at the corners, Thomas stole second to put both runners in scoring position.
AJ Klostermann's single to left center scored both Schobert and Thomas and Stout had a 4-0 lead.
Stout ran into trouble in the fourth inning as the Cougars scored three runs, opening up with back-to-back home runs by Marita Van Dyke and Sydney Getz. Kunstmann would give way to Wood in the pitching circle after giving up a walk, a wild pitch and a run on an outfield error.
Wood gave up the tying run in the fifth, a solo home run by Melissa Balkema, then surrendered four runs on a grand slam by Shania Phillips, allowing five hits in the sixth inning.
The Blue Devils would get all the runs back in the seventh inning, scattering five hits, all to the outfield.
Wood got the win, pitching 3.1 innings, giving up six hits and five runs, all earned. She surrendered no walks and had two strikeouts. Kunstmann worked 3.2 innings and allowed five hits and three runs, two earned. She gave up two walks and had two strikeouts. The Cougars used three pitchers, with Julianne Nation working the last two innings and was saddled with the loss, allowing six hits and five earned runs. She had a walk and a strikeout.
The game turned into a slugfest, with Stout recording 12 hits and Concordia 11.
Kunstmann was 3-for-4 with three RBI to lead Stout. Murphy was 2-for-4 and
Mary Iliopoulos was 2-for-3.
Sydney Sterrett was 2-for-3 for the Cougars. Balkema was 2-for-4.
The Blue Devils are scheduled to play a doubleheader at Lake Forest College, Saturday, March 31 starting at 11 a.m.
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