Box Score
Luther College jumped in front. Whitewater closed the gap -- but not all the way in a 5-4 Lutheran win Friday in the NCAA III regional at van Steenderen Field in Whitewater.
Luther's Morgan Franklin led off the bottom of the second with a home run. Three batters later a Warhawk throwing error helped put the Norse in front, 2-0. Luther used three singles and a Warhawk error to build their lead to 4-0 after three innings. Whitewater got on the board with Jo Jablonski's one out home run to center field in the fourth. With two outs in the fifth, UW-W combined a single and a hit batter, along with Paige Evangelista's three run homer to pull within 5-4. Whitewater had two runners on in the sixth and seventh, but couldn't push a run across.
Luther Becca Girvan went the distance, giving up six hits and three walks, but striking out ten to blunt the Warhawk attack. Evangelista and Jablonski had two hits each for Whitewater. Luther had four players with two hits, including Margin Franklin, Alise Miller, Miranda McCay, and Kayla Hatting. Bekka Houda went the first 2.2 innings for Whitewater, with Kaite Boyle, 17-3, coming on in the third to finish.
UW-Whitewater, 32-6, will play UW-Eau Claire, 27-8, Saturday at 11:00. It will be the fourth time the WIAC members meet this year, with Whitewater holding a 2-1 edge. Luther, 30-9, will play the winner of that game at 3:00.
