Blue Devils open season with two wins in Rosemont Dome

UW-Stout 10, Lake Forest College 9 | UW-Stout 6, Buena Vista University 4

ROSEMONT, Ill (March 7, 2020) - Kate Funk made an impact in her collegiate debut.

The UW-Stout freshman helped the Blue Devils to a 10-9 eight inning win over Lake Forest College as Stout opened their 2020 softball season in the first of a pair of late evening contests at the Rosemont Dome Saturday. In the nightcap, the Blue Devils defeated Buena Vista University, 6-4, using a four-run second inning to surge past the Beavers. Maddie Kleinschmidt recorded the opening win, then came on to seal the win of the second game.

UW-Stout 10, Lake Forest College 9 (8 inn)
In the opener, Funk lifted a three-run home run on a 1-1 count in the first inning in her first collegiate at-bat, then jacked a solo home run in her second collegiate at-bat in the second inning.

The Blue Devils took a 5-1 lead into the fifth inning when the Foresters pulled to within one run. Stout added four runs in the seventh inning as Allegra Larson drove in two runs to give Stout a 9-4 lead. Lake Forest tied the score with a five-run bottom half of the seventh to send the game into extra innings. 

With the international tie-breaker in play, Kelsey Ulrich was placed on second to start the inning. Ulrich advanced to third on a wild pitch. Funk was intentionally walked and Kelly Beck hit the eventual game-winner, a double to left field, to drive in Ulrich.

Maddie Kleinschmidt had come in on relief in the seventh inning. The Forester moved their placed baserunner to third on a sacrifice bunt, but Kleinschmidt forced two infield flyouts to record the win.

The two teams combined for 34 hits, with Stout pounding out 19 hits to 15 for the Foresters. Funk was 3 for 4 with four RBI, while Mary Iliopoulos was 3 for 5 with an RBI, Korin Hall 3 for 3 with an RBI, and Meghan Kelly, Kelly Beck and Addison Murry each had two hits. The Foresters got three hits from Shaye Gauthier and Josie Klein and two hits each from Sydney Wyatt, Hannah Kalnicky, Melissa Manzo and Abby Ponder.

Sommer Kunstmann started the game for the Blue Devils, going 6.0 innings, allowing 13 hits and eight runs, five earned. She struck out three and walked two. Kleinschmidt pitched two innings, striking out two, walking two and allowing two hits and one earned run. Kleinschmidt faced 10 batters.

UW-Stout 6, Buena Vista University 4
In the nightcap - literally, the game did not begin until after 10 p.m. - the Blue Devils took advantage of two BVU errors in the second inning to put four runs on the board.

After Buena Vista opened to take a 1-0 lead in the top of the second, Kayli Pfeffer drove in Funk, who led off with a walk. Korin Hall singled in a run to right field and Stout added a pair of unearned runs to lead 4-1. 

The Beavers pulled to within one run in the top of the third, scoring two runs on Sydney Carroll's left field single.

Stout got the runs back in their half of the third. Jessica Daley led off with a single to center, then came home on a double by Meghan Kelly. Beck plated Kelly. 

The Beavers got to starting pitcher Melea Bruns in the top of the seventh. Pinch hitter Carmen Morrison lifted a home run and the next two batters notched singles. Kleinschmidt came on with runners on first and second and, for the second game in a row, retired the final two batters on flyouts to record her first save of the season.

Hall and Daley both went 2 for 3 and the Beavers had three batters with two hits each. Stout finished with seven hits to Buena Vista's eight. The Beavers committed four errors to Stout's one.

Bruns struck out four and scattered eight hits, allowing four runs, all earned. Kleinschmidt faced the two batters. For the Beavers, Payton Gross went the distance, allowing two earned runs and seven hits, striking out four.

Stout and Buena Vista will meet again Sunday, March 8 at 11 a.m. Stout will close out the weekend by playing the University of Chicago at 1 p.m.