CLERMONT, Fla. – The No. 9 ranked University of Wisconsin-Whitewater softball team dropped a pair of one-run games Saturday on its second day at the National Training Center Spring Games at Legends Way Fields.
The Warhawks (1-3 overall) were defeated 2-1 against St. Olaf (Minn.) in their first game of the day, and fell by the same score against Elmhurst (Ill.) in their second contest.
Against Elmhurst (3-3), UW-Whitewater lost three straight pop-ups to the left side of the field in the sun defensively in the bottom of the sixth as the Bluejays took a two-run lead. The run of hits started with two outs and nobody on.
The Warhawks halved their deficit in the top of the seventh thanks to a run-scoring base hit by junior third baseman
Meg Cohrs (Elburn, Ill./Kaneland). Elmhurst recorded the final two outs of the inning on consecutive plays, throwing out the tying run on a steal attempt at second base for the final out of the contest.
Senior shortstop
Emily Rux (Chicago, Ill./Mother McAuley) tallied two hits to lead the offense. Junior catcher
Nikki Mikosz (Wheeling, Ill./Wheeling) knocked a double to start the UW-W rally in the seventh.
Senior pitcher
Julia Camardo (Arlington Heights, Ill./Buffalo Grove) took the tough-luck loss to drop to 0-2 on the year, allowing only four hits over six innings while striking out five.
In the opener, St. Olaf (7-4) recorded runs in the fourth and seventh innings. UW-Whitewater threatened the lead in the bottom of the seventh, loading the bases with one out. After a walk by sophomore left fielder
Vera Pflugradt (Lake Zurich, Ill./Stevenson) cut the Warhawks' deficit in half, the Oles retired the final two hitters on fly balls.
Junior
Bella Matthias (Greenfield, Wis./Greenfield) took her first loss of the year, scattering six hits over seven innings and striking out 10.
Pflugradt reached base twice on a hit and a walk. Junior catcher
Nicole Neitzel (Verona, Wis./Verona Area) and sophomore right fielder
Kaiden Jackson (Schaumburg, Ill./Schaumburg) each added one hit for UW-Whitewater, which left eight runners on base, including five over the last three frames.
The Warhawks face Wellesley (Mass.) and No. 3 St. Thomas (Minn.) Sunday at 8 a.m. and 10:15 a.m. Central Time, respectively, in Clermont.