Box Score 1 | Box Score 2 WHITEWATER, Wis. - The Warhawks used the long ball to surge past the UW-Superior Yellowjackets Saturday afternoon at van Steenderen Field. UW-W increased their season total to 40 with eight round-trippers in the doubleheader including three off the bat of Morgan Krisch (Plainfield, IL/Central). Whitewater took the opener 8-6 and came back with an 8-0 win in five innings as Bekka Houda (Lisle, IL/Lisle) tossed a no hitter.

Photo Gallery courtesy of Alex Saager

The games, originally scheduled to be played in Superior, were moved due to field conditions earlier in the week. The Yellowjackets remained the home team and Whitewater occupied the guest side of the scoreboard despite playing on their home field.

The teams combined for seven homers in the first game but the Warhawks used singles to post the first run of the day. Laura Eichenold (Elmwood Park, IL/Trinity) got things going with a one-out single up the middle. Jo Jablonski (Palatine, IL/Palatine) and Chelsey Schobert (Belmont/Belmont) made it back-to-back-to-back singles with two hits to center field. Mimi Ramirez (Chicago, IL/Trinity) gave Whitewater the early lead with a two-out RBI down the left field line.

The Warhawks increased their lead to 3-0 after Paige Evangelista (Wheaton, IL/North) tagged a two-run bomb (HR #1) to left center. The Yellowjackets bounced back in the bottom of the third with two runs on three hits to make the score 3-2 in favor of UW-W.

UW-S knotted the game at 3-3 courtesy of Haley McNeil's (HR #2) leadoff homerun over the centerfield fence.

The Warhawks came roaring back with a four run fifth inning. Kelly McGrail (Tinley Park, IL/V.J. Andrew) homered to right center (HR #3) to lead off the inning and Krisch made it back-to-back jacks (HR #4) for UW-W with a ball launched over the fence in left center. Evangelista notched a one-out double and then Eichenold got a hold of one for her first homer of the season (HR #5) and the third of the inning for the Warhawks. Whitewater scored four runs on four hits including three homers to take a 7-3 lead. 

Kristen Haider homered (HR #6) to open the bottom of the fifth for the Yellowjackets but UW-W answered with another run in the top of the seventh. Haider notched her second round-tripper of the day (HR #7) to score to in the bottom of the seventh but the Warhawks got out of the jam to hold on for the 8-6 win.

With the bats warmed up from the first game, the Warhawks picked up where they left off. Krisch's RBI single up the middle scored Mimi Ramirez (Chicago, IL/Trinity) to give UW-W a 1-0 lead after the first half inning.

Alyssa Fernandez (Carol Stream, IL/St. Francis) singled with out to left and Samie Seamon (Antioch, IL/Antioch) cleared the bases with a homerun to left center (HR #8) to give UW-W a 3-0 lead after two innings.

Krisch opened the top of the third with a solo homer (HR #9) to left center. Amy Ricci (Gurnee, IL/Warren Township) followed with a single and Jablonski's two-out bomb to left center (HR #10) gave Whitewater a 6-0 lead. 

For the second inning in a row, Krisch went yard (HR #11), this time scoring two for her second homerun of the game and third of the day. 

Houda blanked the Superior batters, allowing just one base runner in the game to secure the win. 

In two games, the teams combined for eleven homeruns, eight from Warhawk batters. Krisch went 4-for-7 with three homers, three runs scored and five runs batted in to lead Whitewater at the plate. UW-W totaled 26 hits in the twinbill. 

Kelynn Sporer (Chilton/Chilton) picked up the win in game one, striking out five while walking five in 6.1 innings on the mound. Freshman Stephanie Waller (Oak Lawn, IL/Richards) came in for the final 0.2 innings of relief to record her first save of the season.

Houda was one Yellowjacket shy of a perfect game in the nightcap. The righthander struck out five and walked one in the complete game, five inning win. 

The Warhawks (27-8, 12-2) will head to Eau Claire to take on the Blugolds Sunday for a doubleheader beginning at 12 pm.


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