CLERMONT, Fla. – The University of Wisconsin-Whitewater softball team used strong pitching and timely hitting Wednesday to post a 4-1 victory over St. Scholastica (Minn.) in the second of two games at the National Training Center Softball Complex.
The Warhawks (5-4 overall) were defeated 2-0 by Fontbonne (Mo.) in their first game of the day.
Trailing 1-0 through four innings against the Saints (7-8), UW-Whitewater struck for two runs in the top of the fifth to take the lead for good.
With one out in the frame, freshman centerfielder
Caitlin Catino (Arlington Heights, Ill./Buffalo Grove) tripled down the right field line to score sophomore left fielder
Mallory Klotz (New Berlin, Wis./West), who walked on the previous at-bat. Freshman shortstop
Emily Rux (Chicago, Ill./Mother McAuley) put the team ahead for good, plating Catino with a base hit to left center on a 3-2 count.
The Warhawks added two insurance runs in the top of the seventh on run-scoring hits by junior first baseman
Amy Ricci (Gurnee, IL/Warren Township) and senior pinch hitter
Maggie Hansen (Algonquin, IL/Jacobs).
Freshman
Julia Camardo (Arlington Heights, Ill./Buffalo Grove) allowed just one run on six hits and finished with six strikeouts to improve to 3-1 with a complete-game outing.
Ricci led the offense with a 4-for-4 performance, while Rux contributed two hits. Catino scored two runs.
In the opener, the Warhawks left 10 runners on base and were held to four hits.
Fontbonne (3-8) tallied single runs in the fifth and seventh innings to come away with the victory.
Junior pitcher
Stephanie Waller (Oak Lawn, IL/Richards) fell to 2-2 on the year with the tough-luck loss, surrendering one earned run on seven hits with three strikeouts in a complete-game effort.
Junior first baseman
Amy Ricci (Gurnee, IL/Warren Township), sophomore left fielder
Mallory Klotz (New Berlin, Wis./West), sophomore second baseman
Michayla Swanson (Randolph, Wis./Randolph) and freshman shortstop
Emily Rux (Chicago, Ill./Mother McAuley) posted one hit apiece to lead the offense.
UW-Whitewater concludes play in Clermont Thursday against Wisconsin non-conference foes Lawrence (8 a.m. Central Time) and St. Norbert (10 a.m. Central Time).