The UW-Whitewater softball team, ranked thirteenth in a National Fastpitch Coaches Association top 25 poll, added two more wins Sunday in Clermont, Florida. The Warhawks started the day with a 6-1 win over Loras College and beat Tufts University 3-2 in eight innings in the nightcap.
Tufts Recap
Box Score
Whitewater jumped out to a quick lead scoring two runs in the first inning. Amanda Mertes (Des Plaines, IL/Elk Grove) led off the game with a single up the middle. Mimi Ramirez (Chicago, IL/Trinity) moved Mertes to second on a bunt single in the next at bat. Lauren Rankins (Marengo, IL/Marengo) put down a sacrifice bunt to move both runners into scoring position. Another single up the middle, this time from Emily Epifanio (Park Ridge, IL/Maine South), brought Mertes and Ramirez around to score.
Tufts evened the game at 2-2 in the bottom of the third. Lena Cantone started the inning with a single up the middle and advanced to second on a sacrifice bunt by Mira Lieman-Sifry. Kayla Holland singled to the shortstop to put runners on first and second. Lauren Giglio posted the two out two RBI single through the left side to score Contone and Holland and tie the game.
Whitewater allowed just one Tuft batter to reach first base for the rest of regulation play.
Using the international tie-breaker rule, the Warhawks started the top of the eighth with Mertes on second base. (The rule indicates the last out of the previous inning be placed at second base to start the inning.) Ramirez dropped another bunt single to put runners on the corners with no outs. Rankins recorded her third sacrifice fly in the next at bat to score Mertes from third and give UW-W the 3-2 lead. Tufts was able to get out of the inning without allowing more damage.
Tufts started their half of the inning with Sara Hedtler on second. Cantone moved the runner to 60 feet away from scoring with a sac bunt. Another bunt on the next at-bat proved costly for Tufts as freshman catcher Chelsey Schobert (Belmont/Belmont) made a diving catch in foul territory to record the second out. UW-W recorded the third out on a fly out to right field to win the game 3-2.
Haley Krueger (Beach Park, IL/Waukegan) and Ramirez led the Warhawks at the plate with two hits a piece. Epifanio had two of the three RBI's for Whitewater.
Left-hander Jessica Stang (Minnetonka, MN/Minnetonka) recorded her third win of the season going the distance with seven strikeouts, no walks and two earned runs off of six hits.
Loras Recap
Box Score
The Warhawks got the ball rolling the in first with a lead-off double from Amanda Mertes (Des Plaines, IL/Elk Grove). Mimi Ramirez (Chicago, IL/Trinity) laid down a bunt forcing a fielder's choice with Mertes sliding in safely to third. Ramirez moved to second on a delayed steal to put two runners in scoring position for Lauren Rankins (Marengo, IL/Marengo). Rankins flew out to center scoring Mertes for a sacrifice. Ramirez advanced to third on a groundout and crossed home on a single from Samie Seamon (Antioch, IL/Antioch). A walk and a single on the next two at bats loaded the bases. Haley Krueger (Beach Park, IL/Waukegan) singled through the right side to score Seamon.
Loras put a run on the board in the top of the fourth on an RBI single from Tracy Sullivan that scored Kelsey Techlin.
Whitewater added two runs in the fifth and another in the sixth to top off the scoring in the game with a 6-1 win.
Rankins was perfect at the plate going 2x2 with two RBI's a run and a walk in the game. Mertes added a 2x4 game at the plate and came around to score twice.
Righty Katie Boyle (Greendale/Thomas More) recorded the complete game win allowing just one run on two hits while striking out six and walking one. Boyle is 1-1 on the season.
The Warhawks improve to 5-1 in 2011.
UW-W will continue play in the National Training Center (NTC) spring games in Clermont, FL Tuesday with games against the University of St. Thomas and Hope College scheduled for 10:30 and 12:30 respectively.
