MANKATO, Minn. – The University of Northwestern St. Paul Softball team opened their season on Saturday night with games against Buena Vista University and Bethany Lutheran College. The Eagles fell 9-6 in their season opener with the Beavers before taking down the Vikings 6-4 for their first win of the season.
Game 1
In their season opener, the Eagles struck first in the top of the third inning.
Shelby Stoll (Buffalo, Minn./Buffalo) singled to center to lead off the inning. Two outs later, Stoll stole second with
Briggs Carlson (North Mankato, Minn./Mankato West) at the plate. Carlson proceeded to single to center to drive in Stoll for the first run of the season and to take the 1-0 lead.
The Beavers answered with a crooked number in the bottom half of the frame, scoring five runs to take the lead. However, the Eagles answered with four in the top of the fourth. With two outs and a runner on first,
Ellie Ronning (Alexandria, Minn./Alexandria Area) doubled to left field to drive in
Telma Roesler (Hastings, Minn./Crown College). The Beavers then hit
Lindsey Dvorak (Richmond, Minn./ROCORI), and one batter later Carlson made them pay. The junior tripled to center field, driving in both Ronning and Dvorak to energize the Eagles and bring them within a run of the Beavers. Carlson scored on a fielding error the following at-bat to tie the game up at 5-5.
Unfortunately, the Beavers answered again in the bottom half of the frame with a pair of runs to take the lead once more 7-5. The Eagles answered in the top of the sixth as Dvorak led off the inning with a bomb to left center for the first home run of the season for UNW. However, Buena Vista scored twice in the bottom of the sixth to increase their lead to 9-6. The Beavers closed the door in the seventh for their second win of the season.
Game 2
Following their season opener, the Eagles took on the Vikings. Bethany Lutheran struck first with a run in the top of the first, but Northwestern responded with five unanswered in the first three innings.
In the bottom of the first, Stoll was hit by a pitch, then proceeded to steal second and advance to third on a throwing error. Ronning drove in Stoll in the next at bat to tie the game. The Eagles took the lead in the second as
Kendra Hardy (Alexandria, Minn./Alexandria Area) scored on a Stoll single to left field.
Northwestern scored thrice in the third. With one out and runners on first and second,
Hannah Woodworth (Panora, Iowa/Panorama) singled up the middle to drive in Dvorak. Hardy followed with a single to right, driving in
Courtney Schmidt (Spring Valley, Minn/Kingsland) from second and advancing Woodworth to third.
Bridgette Kollos (Mapleton, Minn./Maple River) proceeded to lay down a great sacrifice bunt to score Woodworth and give the Eagles the 5-1 lead.
The Vikings started to chip away at the Eagles' lead in the next few innings, scoring twice in the fourth and once more in the sixth to pull within one run at 5-4. With two outs in the bottom of the sixth, the Eagles responded as Dvorak singled to right to drive in Roesler and double the UNW lead. The run would be the final of the game, as the Eagles earned their first win of the season 6-4.
Samantha Burkhart (Salix, Iowa/Westwood) earned the win for the Eagles, pitching four innings in her start.
Diana Boyce (Phoenix, Ariz./Park City) recorded the three-inning save.
Up Next
The Eagles return to Mankato next weekend for a doubleheader contest with Buena Vista on Saturday night. First pitch of the opening game is scheduled for 6pm.
