ST. PAUL, Minn. - Friday afternoon, the University of Northwestern Softball team took the field in the first game of the UMAC Series of the Week against the University of Wisconsin-Superior. In a highly competitive, back-and-forth game, the Eagles fell 7-9 to the undefeated Yellowjackets.
Striking first, the Yellowjackets tallied a 2-out run to take the early lead. Lani Schoper (Madison Lake, Minn./Mankato West) closed the first frame with a snow-cone grab to immediately stop any additional runs. After ending the inning for Superior, Schoper kept the Eagles at bat alive with a 2-out double; however, Schoper stayed on second as UWS found the third out of the inning.
The visitor half of the 2nd inning saw two runners get to the corners before a strikeout, a tag at home, and a 4-3 putout brought the Eagles back on offense. Bryn Anderson (Hutchinson, Minn./Hutchinson) got Northwestern started with a double to left field, then cruised home on a gapper from Kate Trump (Faribault, Minn/Bethlehem Academy). As the Yellowjackets tried to tag Anderson out at home, Trump snuck to third on the overthrown ball. A massive double from Kate Beer (Prior Lake, Minn./Prior Lake) then kept the inning going, driving Trump home. The Eagles ended the 2nd with a 2-1 lead.
UW-Superior retook the lead in the top of the 3rd, scoring twice in the frame before loading the bases and tacking on three more runs. Finally, Mikayla Gee (Rochester, Minn./John Marshall) completed a diving catch and throw to first to strand three runners and switch the field. Leading off in the bottom half, Sydney Lane (Altoona, Iowa/Grand View Christian) beat out the throw to first and moved all the way to third on a dropped throw to second after a hit from Schoper. Schoper then stole second during Jadyn Iverson's (West Fargo, N.D./West Fargo) at-bat. Iverson battled at the plate before getting walked to load the bases. Reganne Henning (Beatrice, Neb./Beatrice) entered as a pinch runner for Iverson and moved to second as Anderson hit a line drive past the third baseman and the shortstop. Lane scored while Schoper made it to third, before following with another run on Trump's hit, bringing UWS within one.
A pitching change for the Eagles opened the 4th inning as Maddie Bottineau (Andover, Minn./Andover) replaced Emma Heffron (Altoona, Iowa/Grand View Christian) in the circle. Northwestern found a double play and another out to hold Superior scoreless. Offensively, a lead-off double from Beer bounced off the fence to open the bottom of the inning. A Gee bunt moved Beer to third, who quickly scored on a sacrifice hit from Lane. Another big double from Schoper scored Gee, who had stolen second and made it to third on Lane's sacrifice. Stopping the Eagles, now with the 6-5 lead, the Yellowjackets found the third out, moving into the final half of the game.
UWS scored three runs in the 5th to re-gain the lead 8-6. The bottom of the frame opened with two quick outs, followed by three singles to secure the final run for the Eagles. Beer started with a single to the pitcher, Gee moved Beer with a beautifully dropped bunt, and Beer scored as Lane plopped a hit right behind the infield.
Another pitching change had Ireland Strubbe (Chandler, Ariz./Valley Christian) taking over at the top of the 6th for Bottineau. For the first and only time this game, neither team scored in the inning as UNW kept the Yellowjackets away from home to stay within one run, and Superior responded with a three-up-three-down inning. In the 7th, UWS scored one run to bring a 2-run lead to the bottom of the final inning. Trump took a swing and found the grass behind the second baseman getting to first. Morrissey pinch ran for Trump and made it to second on Storey's hit, then proceeded to third on Beer's hit. After a battle at the plate, despite having a runner on third, UW-Superior found the game-ending out to take the first game of the series and remain undefeated in conference.
Beer led the team at the plate, going 3-4, scoring twice, launching two doubles, and driving home one run. Lane also had an impressive day offensively with two runners batted in on two hits. Schoper, Anderson, and Trump each went 2-4 at the plate. Schoper and Anderson tallied one RBI, while Trump brought home two runners. In the circle, Strubbe pitched two innings with one strikeout, while surrendering one hit, one run, and one walk. Bottineau also pitched two innings and allowed three earned runs. The starter, Heffron, struck out three batters and gave up five earned runs.
The Eagles will take the field tomorrow, April 26, at 12:00 PM and 2:00 PM for the doubleheader against UW-Superior. Between games, the team will recognize its nine seniors.
