Superior, Wis. –– The University of Northwestern softball team traveled up to Superior, Wisconsin, for a UMAC doubleheader Friday afternoon. The Eagles (8-16, 3-1 in UMAC play) split with the Yellowjackets (8-6, 3-1 UMAC). Northwestern won game one 8-3 before Superior won game two 5-4. Northwestern was picked second in the UMAC preseason poll, and Superior was chosen third.

Game One
Northwestern got on the board early in the first thanks to a leadoff eight-pitch walk from Briggs Carlson (North Mankato, Minn./Mankato West). Courtney Schmidt (Spring Valley, Minn/Kingsland) sacrificed her to second with a bunt, and Telma Roseler brought her around to score with a single to right-center. The Yellowjackets tied it in the bottom half of the frame, but the Eagles took the lead for good in the third.

Carlson reached with another leadoff single, stole second, and advanced to third on Ellie Ronning's (Alexandria, Minn./Alexandria Area) infield single. Roesler got her second RBI of the contest with a sacrifice fly to center. Kayla Hannasch (Lakeville, Minn./Lakeville North) followed with a double down the right-field line to score Roesler to make it 3-1. Superior got one run back in the bottom half, but left the tying run stranded on third.

The Eagles' offense kept rolling in the fourth, as Hannah Woodworth (Panora, Iowa/Panorama), Shelby Stoll (Buffalo, Minn./Buffalo), and Hailey Hansen (Elbow Lake, Minn./West Central Area) loaded the bases with no outs. Carlson hit a run-scoring single, and Schmidt and Ronning followed with two bases-loaded walks to extend the lead to 6-2.

The final offensive outburst came in the sixth. Carlson reached for the fourth time in the contest with another walk, and Schmidt sacrificed her to second. Ronning then received the Barry Bonds treatment where Superior decided to intentionally walk her with no outs instead of having her cause more damage with the bat. The Eagles after her held up their end of the bargain and made Superior pay. Roesler loaded the bases with a single, Hannasch hit a sacrifice fly, and Woodworth had an RBI single to extend the lead to 8-2. In the seventh, Superior got its third run of the contest.

Briggs Carlson (North Mankato, Minn./Mankato West) led the offense as she reached all five times. She recorded three hits, two walks, three runs scored, and an RBI. Ronning and Woodworth both reached three times. Samantha Burkhart (Salix, Iowa/Westwood) (3-5) got the start in the circle, and she fired five solid innings as she gave up one earned run, struck out four, and scattered five hits. Diana Boyce (Phoenix, Ariz./Park City) followed and threw the final two innings.
 

Game Two

Briggs Carlson (North Mankato, Minn./Mankato West) started game two in the circle for Northwestern, and she stranded the bases loaded in the bottom of the first. UNW took the lead in the third as the inning started very similarly to the top of the first in game one. Carlson drew a nine-pitch walk, and Courtney Schmidt (Spring Valley, Minn/Kingsland) dropped down a perfect bunt, and she reached safely. Superior decided to pitch to Ronning this time, and she made them pay with a two-run double to left to give the Eagles the early lead. 

Superior took its first lead of the day in the bottom half of the frame as they scored three runs to take the 3-2 lead. The Eagles regained the lead in the fifth as Ronning recorded her third hit of the contest. Kayla Hannasch (Lakeville, Minn./Lakeville North) drew a walk, and Hannah Woodworth (Panora, Iowa/Panorama) singled home Ronning and Hannasch to make it 4-3 Northwestern.

Superior fought back to tie it in the fifth, but Northwestern looked to retake the lead in the sixth. Schmidt drew a four-pitch walk to bring up Ronning, the hottest hitter in all of DIII softball, who recorded her fourth hit of the game, this time a double to left field. Both runners were stranded in scoring position, and the Eagles would also strand two runners in scoring position in the top of the seventh. In the bottom half of the frame, Superior cashed in on their chance and salvaged a split.

Ronning had four of the nine Eagle hits in game two. Schmidt, Hannasch, Woodworth, and Hansen all reached base two times in the contest. Briggs Carlson (North Mankato, Minn./Mankato West) got the start, and she lasted the first seven outs before Samantha Burkhart (Salix, Iowa/Westwood) came on in relief. She threw the final four innings of the contest and struck out two.

Up Next

The Eagles host the College of St. Scholastica in a conference doubleheader on Saturday, April 10th at Reynolds Field. First pitch of game one is scheduled for 1:00 pm. The Saints were picked first in the UMAC preseason poll, while the Eagles were picked second, as Northwestern faces its second high quality opponent in as many days.

Follow Northwestern softball online at www.unweagles.com or on Instagram @unwsoftball.