Box Score
Host UW-Whitewater, the top seed in the regional, opened tournament play with a 6-1 win over Finlandia University Thursday at van Steenderen Field. Finlandia started quickly, with freshman rightfielder Kari Jewett leading off with a double, moving to third on a sacrifice and scoring on a ground out to take a 1-0 lead. Junior first baseman Morgan Krisch's two out, two run single in the bottom of the third put Whitewater in front 2-1. The Warhawks played small ball in the fourth, adding a run on just one hit, with the aid of a Finlandia error, two fielder's choice plays, a sacrifice and a ground out. UW-W added three insurance runs in the fifth on a single from sophomore designated hitter Paige Evangelista and a two run homer from junior rightfielder Samie Seamon, her team-leading seventh of the year.
Freshman centerfielder Kristen Rose led Finlandia at the plate, going 2x3 with the run batted in. Krisch, Evangelista and Seamon collected two hits each in Whitewater's nine hit attack. Junior Alyson Herman, 15-5, went 4.2 innings for Finlandia, giving up nine hits and five earned runs, with one walk and no strikeouts. Sophomore Miranda Brewer went the last inning and a third without allowing a hit. For Whitewater, senior righthander Katie Boyle, 17-2, scattered five hits over six innings, allowing one run. She struck out four and walked two. Sophomore Bekka Houda pitched a scoreless seventh.
UW-W, 32-5, will face the winner of the Carthage-Luther game at 2:00 Friday. Finlandia, 25-7, will face the Carthage-Luther loser at 10:00 Friday in the double elimination tournament.
