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Box Score 2 MILWAUKEE - The Wisconsin Lutheran College softball team split a Northern Athletics Conference doubleheader with visiting Concordia University Chicago on Thursday afternoon at Warrior Field. After suffering a heartbreaking 2-1 loss in nine innings of the opener, the Warriors rebounded with an 8-5 come-from-behind victory in game two.
Scoring was tough to come by for both teams in the opener as the Warriors plated their only run in the first inning when freshman Libby Larsen (Menasha, Wis./Menasha) drew a bases-loaded walk to bring home junior Mindy Schalinske (Burlington, Wis./Shoreland Lutheran) for an early 1-0 lead.
CUC tied the game at 1-1 in the second on a solo homerun to left by Jenni Jensen. That concluded the scoring for the next six innings as neither team could plate a run until the Cougars' half of the ninth when they scored the go-ahead run off a rare balk on an intentional walk situation. WLC strung together a two-out rally in the seventh, but left two runners in scoring position as CUC escaped the jam.
Sophomore Dayan Gacgacao (Chicago, Ill,/Whitney Young) led the Warriors at the plate by going 2-for-4. Senior Lauren Mantz (West Bend, Wis./Kettle Moraine Lutheran) and juniorJinny Curtis (Muskego, Wis./Wisconsin Lutheran) each contributed one hit.
Junior pitcher Kendra Thomas (Jenison, Mich./Jenison) tossed all 9.0 innings for the Warriors, but suffered the hard-luck loss. Thomas allowed just two runs on four hits, while fanning three batters.
Sami DeFord picked up her seventh win of the season for Concordia Chicago in the circle. Olivia Hires led all CUC hitters with two hits.
The Warriors found themselves trailing 5-2 after 2.5 innings of the nightcap, but battled back to score six runs over the next four innings for the 8-5 win. With the score knotted at 5-5 after the fifth inning, WLC held the Cougars scoreless and then plated three runs on three hits in the sixth to take the lead and salvage the split.
The Warriors loaded the bases with nobody out in the sixth and Thomas plated the go-ahead run off a wild pitch for the 6-5 lead. Mantz and freshman Tara Degl'Innocenti (Lisle, Ill./Naperville North) followed with RBI hits for the 8-5 cushion. Thomas tossed a perfect seventh and the Warriors came away with a key split to stay alive in the conference tournament race.
Mantz and Degl'Innocenti each recorded two hits for the Warriors, while Abby Wichgers(Muskego, Wis./Muskego) drove in two runs.
Thomas went all 7.0 innings for WLC in the circle, striking out four on her way to scattering five runs on seven hits.
Alicia Salata was handed her fourth loss in the circle for Concordia Chicago (15-20, 11-9 NAC). Sarah James led the Cougars with two hits and two RBIs in the nightcap.
Wisconsin Lutheran (15-13, 9-9 NAC), which holds onto the sixth and final conference tournament spot, continues its busiest week of the season tomorrow with a doubleheader at Milwaukee School of Engineering (4-24, 2-18 NAC). First pitch is scheduled for 3 p.m. at MSOE Athletic Field.
