Softball Walks Off For Senior Day Split With Cougars

MILWAUKEE (WLCSports.com) - The Wisconsin Lutheran College softball team overcame a five-run deficit by scoring the game-winning run in walk-off fashion for a 6-5 victory over Concordia Chicago in game one on Sunday at Neumann Family Field. The Cougars edged the Warriors in game two, 1-0.

THE BASICS

• Scores: Wisconsin Lutheran 6, Concordia Chicago 5; Concordia Chicago 1, Wisconsin Lutheran 0
• Location: Neumann Family Field, Milwaukee, Wis.
• Records: Wisconsin Lutheran (11-21, 7-11 NACC), Concordia Chicago (21-13, 11-7 NACC)

GAME 1 HIGHLIGHTS

• After two quick uneventful innings, the Cougars were the first to score in the third on a bases loaded walk for a 1-0 lead. CUC stranded three runners on base to end the frame. 
• The Warriors retired the first two Concordia Chicago batters in the fourth, but the next five reached base and the visitors scored four runs aided by three errors for a 5-0 lead. 
• Wisconsin Lutheran answered with four runs on five hits in the bottom of the inning. A trio of doubles from Melissa Ericson (Lisle, Ill./Lisle), Paris McCullum (Kokomo, Ind./Kokomo), and Davina Gutierrez (Chicago, Ill./Dwight D. Eisenhower) proved huge for WLC in the inning. A single from Taylor Bjork (Horicon, Wis./Horicon) brought in Ericson, McCullum's double to left center brought home Megan Belongia (Ashwaubenon, Wis./Ashwaubenon) and Ellen Davis (Greendale, Wis./Greendale), and Gutierrez's double scored Rebecca Yniguez (Wildomar, Calif./California Lutheran) for the one-run deficit.
• The Warriors held the Cougars to just one hit over the final three innings and the Warriors rallied in the bottom of the seventh. Kaitlyn Robison (Andalusia, Ill./Rockridge) scored off a deep dropped fly ball to left from the bat of Davis to knot the score at 5-5. Bjork followed with a single to left and Davis, who had stopped at third, advanced home for the game-winning run after the ball was misplayed in left field. 
• Bjork and Gutierrez each had two hits in the game one win for the Warriors. Abby Mahsem (South Milwaukee, Wis./South Milwaukee) allowed just one earned run over 7.0 innings for her sixth win of the year. She overcame four walks by striking out six. WLC honored its three seniors in Robison, Abby Akright (Dunlap, Ill./Dunlap), and Rachel Christian (Sullivan, Wis./Lake Country Lutheran) in between games on Sunday.

GAME 2 HIGHLIGHTS

• A first-inning run by the Cougars on a two-out RBI single proved to be the only run of the game for both sides. 
• Wisconsin Lutheran stranded at least one runner on base in six straight innings, included the bases loaded twice.
• Gutierrez and Mahsem each had two hits in the game for the Warriors, who were limited to five for the contest. Bjork allowed just the one run on seven hits to suffer the hard-luck loss.

FOR THE FOES

• Emily Owens went 2-for-3 with two runs scored for the Cougars in game one. Courtney Pepper was dealt the loss in 3.1 innings of relief.
• Stefanie D'Anna was 3-for-3 with a run scored for CUC in the nightcap. Julianne Nation picked up the win after tossing 6.2 innings of five-hit, shutout ball. Marita Van Dyke recorded the final out of the game for the save.

UP NEXT

• The Warriors host UW-Stevens Point (8-20) on Thursday in a non-conference series at Neumann Family Field. First pitch is scheduled for 3:00 p.m. UWSP swept WLC in their final games of the 2016 season.