DULUTH, Minn. – The University of Northwestern softball team kept its season alive with a thrilling 5-4 extra-inning win over the University of Wisconsin-Superior in an elimination game Thursday. The Eagles opened the double-elimination Upper Midwest Athletic Conference (UMAC) Tournament with a 7-0 loss against second-seeded Crown College.
UNW advances to play Bethany Lutheran College in another elimination game Friday at 2 p.m.
Game One
Crown scored three runs in the opening frame and never looked back, picking up the shutout victory.
Mindy Forcier (Watkins, Minn./Eden Valley-Watkins) was responsible for two of UNW's six hits in the contest, while
Kaylee Forcier (Watkins, Minn./Eden Valley-Watkins),
Jennifer Ankrom (New Hampton, Iowa/New Hampton) and
Ellen Larkin (Excelsior, Minn./Southwest Christian) all added a base knock.
Lauren Silbernick (Osakis, Minn./Osakis) was tagged with the loss after scattering 15 hits.
Game Two
After UWS put a three-spot on the board in the top of the first, UNW's offense responded with four runs in the home half of frame to take a 4-3 lead.
Megan Threlkeld (Burnsville, Minn./Burnsville),
Jennifer Ankrom (New Hampton, Iowa/New Hampton),
Ellen Larkin (Excelsior, Minn./Southwest Christian) and
Ann Lokke (St. Francis, Minn./St. Francis) all delivered RBI rips to generate UNW's plate production.
The Yellowjackets would go on to even the score after they pushed a run across in the fifth. Neither team would plate another run and the contest went to extras.
In the bottom of the eighth, pinch runner
Faith Forcier (Watkins, Minn./Eden Vallley-Watkins) was brought home thanks to an
Ann Lokke (St. Francis, Minn./St. Francis) RBI infield single, keeping UNW's season alive. Lokke finished the game with three hits, while
Mindy Forcier (Watkins, Minn./Eden Valley-Watkins),
Megan Threlkeld (Burnsville, Minn./Burnsville) and
Ellen Larkin (Excelsior, Minn./Southwest Christian) all contributed a pair each.
Lauren Silbernick (Osakis, Minn./Osakis) went the distance in the circle, allowing just three earned runs to pick up her eighth win of the season.
Fans can watch Friday's game live at
www.unweagles.com.
