Blue Devil softball sweeps second day opponents, have won three in a row

UW-Stout 14, Concordia-Moorhead 2 | UW-Stout 5, Northland College 2

MANKATO, Minn. (February 20, 2022) - UW-Stout earned a sweep on the second day of the Bethany Lutheran Kwik Trip Tournament at the MSU Dome, downing Concordia-Moorhead, 14-2, and Northland College, 5-2, Sunday.

The Blue Devils (3-1) sent freshmen to the pitching circle and both picked up their first collegiate wins.

Madalyn Lambert started against Concordia and struck out five while scattering four hits in 5.1 innings of work. Anna Blanford got the call in the second game and the Elmwood native went five innings, allowing three hits and no runs.

Stout's bats came to life, as well. the Blue Devils pounded out 15 hits against Concordia and eight hits against Northland.

In the morning opener against the Cobbers, Emma Muehlenbeck, Kelly Beck, Kate Funk, Ava Williams, Maggie O'Brien and Lexy Kupczak pounded out two hits apiece. Funk had a double and Williams recorded two doubles. Funk recorded three RBI. Beck and O'Brien each had two RBI and O'Brien had a triple. Shannon Jones recorded a solo home run.

Stout wasted little time getting on the scoreboard. Muehlenbeck, a freshman, opened the game with a triple and came home on Kelly Beck's sacrifice fly. Jones followed with a solo home run. Stout recorded four runs in the third. Funk drove in two runs with a double and Ashley Jacobson and Kaylee Peterson each had RBIs to give Stout a 2-0 lead.

Lambert struck out the first two batters she faced and had three strikeouts over the first two innings. 

Stout added three runs in the sixth inning on three hits and took advantage of two Cobber errors for a 9-0 lead. Concordia did get to Lambert in the bottom of the sixth, allowing two runs, to extend the game. Mackensie Wolterstorff came on in relief and struck out the final batter of the inning. 

Stout blew the game open with a five-run seventh inning, rapping five hits. Wolterstorff closed out the game with a striketout.

In the second game, Blanford pitched five innings of shutout ball, not allowing a runner past second base. She faced three batters in two innings.

Just like in the first game, Stout got on the board in the first inning, this time with a three-run outburst. After Muehlenback led off with a single, sophomore Katelyn Belleau delivered her first collegiate home run, a two-run blast to left field. After an out, Jacobson singled and was plated by Peterson. 

Like first time home runs? The Blue Devils had another by a sophomore player. After Jacobson walked to open the third, Lexy Kupczak drove the ball over the center field fence and Stout took a 5-0 lead. Northland got their only runs in the top of the seventh. Jordan Caby, who came on in relief of Blanford in the sixth, finished the game with three strikeouts and ended the game by striking out the last batter.

The Blue Devils had lively bats over the weekend, hitting .302 as a team. Stout had 13 extra base hits - four doubles, five triples and four home runs Stout last season hit three triples and five home runs over the entire season.

Senior Shannon Jones hit 6 for 12 (.500) and recorded a double, triple and home run over the weekend. Kate Funk finished the weekend with six RBI, while hitting .364 (4-11). Jacobson had four RBI and Kupczak and Beck had three RBI. 

Stout returns to the MSU Dome next weekend and will take on Bethel University, the University of Northwestern, host team Bethany Lutheran and Gustavus Adolphus College.