CLERMONT, Fla. – The University of Wisconsin-Stout softball team split a pair of nonconference games Friday, falling 5-4 to Ohio Northern before bouncing back with a 10-1 win over Thomas (Maine).
Game 1: Ohio Northern 5, UW-Stout 4
UW-Stout jumped out to an early lead, but Ohio Northern used a big middle inning to rally for a 5-4 victory in the opener.
The Blue Devils struck first in the top of the first inning when
Payton Dolecki doubled to left center and later scored on an RBI walk by
Rayni Bresnahan to give Stout a 1-0 lead.
Stout added two runs in the third inning to extend the lead to 3-0 before the Polar Bears responded. Ohio Northern scored once in the third and plated three runs in the fourth inning to take a 4-3 advantage. The Polar Bears added another run in the fifth to make it 5-3.
The Blue Devils pushed across a run in the seventh inning but were unable to complete the comeback.
Stout finished with eight hits in the contest, including four doubles. Dolecki and
Stephanie Kuhn each had two hits.
Game 2: UW-Stout 10, Thomas (ME) 1 (5 inn.)
The Blue Devils responded in a big way in game two, scoring 10 runs in the first two innings to cruise past Thomas (Maine), 10-1, in a five-inning run-rule victory.
Stout plated three runs in the opening inning before erupting for seven runs in the second to break the game open.
Stephanie Kuhn highlighted the inning with a bases-clearing double to right center that drove in three runs.
Sarah Wilkins followed with a two-run home run to right field as the Blue Devils built a commanding lead.
Thomas scored its lone run in the fourth inning, but the Blue Devils closed out the game early with the 10-1 run-rule victory. Stout finished with eight hits while limiting Thomas to four hits in the contest.
Stephanie Kuhn finished 2-3 with six RBI and two runs scored.
Payton Dolecki added two more hits.
The Blue Devils will play two more games tomorrow, Saturday, March 14. Stout will open against Western New England at 12:15 p.m. (ET) and follow with Calvin University at 2:30 p.m. (ET)
