UW-Whitewater defeated Rhode Island College 4-1 Saturday at the National Collegiate Athletic Association Division III World Series in Salem, Virginia.
UW-Whitewater's post-season site
Box score
Post-game press conference
Video of Moyer Sports Complex - Salem, VA
Photo Gallery
Unlike yesterday's game, a 5-4 loss to New York-Cortland when the Warhawks did not score until the fifth -- and did not have a hit until the sixth, junior centerfielder Amy Gahl (Beloit/Parkview) led off the first inning with a single. Gahl immediately took advantage of an Anchorwomen lapse, advancing to second before the next pitch was thrown. Suzanne Gersich (Wadsworth, IL/Warren) brough Gahl home with a single to put UW-W up 1-0 after one inning.
In the second inning UW-W drew a pair of walks, had a better hit by a pitch, and Gahl was involved in the scoring again with a RBI single to make it 2-0 after two.
UW-W had a narrow escape in the third, when Rhode Island had runners on second and third with one out, and loaded with two outs, but freshman lefthander Jessica Stang (Minnetonka, MN/Minnetonka) struck out to end the threat.
Lauren Cruz (Des Plaines, IL/Maine West) led off the Whitewater third with a single, and she was sacrificed to second by Amanda LeBeau (Worth, IL/Richards). Meghann Brennfleck (Fox River Grove, IL/Cary-Grove) followed with a home run to make it 4-0 Whitewater. Ironically, LeBeau leads the team with a school record thirteen home runs and Brennfleck leads UW-W in sacrifices. Whitewater's slogan for the 2008 season is "Whatever it Takes", and the role reversal was successful Saturday.
Rhode Island combined two walks and a single for their turn in the sixth.
UW-Whitewater's Stang allowed four hits, walked four and struck out seven. Stang, who has allowed two earned runs in fourteen innings in the World Series, lowered her ERA to 1.06. She also broke the school season strikeout record, upping her 2008 total to 139 (in 131 innings), topping the previous mark of 135 by Heather Wendt in 1999.
UW-W, 36-10, will play at 1:30 Sunday against the winner of the UW-Eau Claire versus Muskingum College game that will be played later Saturday. Rhode Island ended the season 36-9.
The NCAA III softball World Series uses a double elimination format. The championship game will be played Tuesday at the Moyer Sports Complex in Salem.
For additional information: Brenda Volk, UW-W coach
