The University of Northwestern Eagles (1-3) softball team traveled to Mankato, Minnesota to compete against Buena Vista University (4-0) on Saturday evening. The two teams played at the Maverick Sports Dome on the campus of Minnesota State Mankato. The Beavers swept the doubleheader with scores of 15-2 (5 innings) and 7-3.
Game One
The Beavers wasted no time by putting up a three-spot in the opening frame. They added a fourth in the third and put up a crooked number with four more in the fourth before the Eagles got on the scoreboard in the bottom half of the frame.
Ellie Ronning (Alexandria, Minn./Alexandria Area) started off her fantastic day at the dish with a one-out double to center. She advanced to third on freshman Lindsey Dvorak's (Richmond, Minn./ROCORI) bunt single. Both women scored on Briggs Carlson's (North Mankato, Minn./Mankato West) double to center, which cut the deficit to 8-2. The wheels fell off in the top of the fifth as Buena Vista scored seven runs to end the game at 15-2.
The Eagles recorded four hits in the opener of the twinbill, with three of them in the fourth. Diana Boyce (Phoenix, Ariz./Park City) (0-2) got the start in the circle and threw the first four and a third innings before Briggs Carlson (North Mankato, Minn./Mankato West) came in for the last two outs of the fifth.
Game Two
The Eagles rebounded quickly in the nightcap as they loaded the bases with no outs in the top of the first inning. Carlson drove in Telma Roesler (Hastings, Minn./Crown College), a senior transfer from Crown College, with a sac fly to left. Buena Vista responded by putting up three runs in the bottom of the frame, just like they did in game one, and another in the third.
Northwestern cut the deficit in half in the top of the fifth as Ronning plated Roesler with a single to center. The Beavers added three key insurance runs in the bottom of the sixth to make it a 7-2 game, but the Eagles weren't done fighting yet.
Bridgette Kollos (Mapleton, Minn./Maple River) led off the seventh with a single and advanced to third after two wild pitches before Shelby Stoll (Buffalo, Minn./Buffalo) singled her home to make it 7-3. Ronning added to her 4-4 game with a double to center, but the two runners were left stranded at second and third to end the game.
The Eagles recorded nine hits, led by Ronning's four. Kollos also had a multi-hit game as she was 2-3. Roesler and Stoll were both 1-3 with a walk.
Samantha Burkhart (Salix, Iowa/Westwood) (1-1) got her second start of the season in the circle. She threw a complete game and gave up five earned runs in her six innings of work.
Up Next
The Eagles travel to Rochester, MN to play a doubleheader against Luther College on Saturday, March 6th. First pitch of game one is scheduled for 11:00 am.
Follow Northwestern softball online at www.unweagles.com or on Instagram @unwsoftball.
