The UW-Whitewater softball team scored 16 runs on Saturday en route to a 16-11 victory over Keene State in the third game of their spring trip in Florida. The Warhawks remain unbeaten at 3-0 while Keene drops to 3-4.

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The Warhawks scored four runs in the top of the first two innings to take an 8-0 lead. Amanda LeBeau (Worth, IL/Richards) tripled in the first inning, after UW-W had already plated one, to score two more runs and finished the scoring herself by crossing home plate after an error by the catcher. In the second inning Amy Smith drove in one, Lauren Cruz (Des Plaines, IL/Maine West) doubled home two, and LeBeau singled to drive in the final run.

 

Keene answered with three runs in the bottom of the second, highlighted by a double that drove in all three. Keene then tied the game in the bottom of the third, scoring five runs on six hits.

 

Whitewater put yet another four spot up in the top of the fourth to take a lead they would never relinquish. Suzanne Gersich (Wadsworth, IL/Warren) singled to score one, LeBeau singled to drive in another, Lauren Rankins (Marengo, IL/Marengo) singled to plate the third, and the fourth run came on a Keene State error.

 

Keene pulled to within one, 12-11, by scoring one in the bottom of the fourth and two in the bottom of the fifth, but the Warhawks added an insurance run in the top of the sixth and three more in the top of the seventh to win 16-11.

 

Amy Gahl (Beloit/Parkview) and LeBeau both went 4x5 and scored three runs, while LeBeau added four RBIs to her resume. Four other Warhawks recorded multiple hits, including Gersich who also scored four runs.

 

Jessica Stang (Minnetonka, MN/Minnetonka) earned the victory coming on in relief in the fifth inning to improve to 2-0 this season.

 

The Warhawks play again on Saturday at 1:00 p.m. central time.