WLC Outlasts Weather, Panthers For Monday Split

CLERMONT, Fla. (WLCSports.com) - Wisconsin Lutheran College collected its third consecutive doubleheader split to start the season on Monday, defeating Plymouth State 9-6 before falling to UW-River Falls 11-1 at Hancock Park.

The Warriors (3-3) withstood two rain delays and a nine-hit differential in their first game against the Panthers (1-4) that lasted a lengthy 3:03.

PSU plated an unearned first-inning run to take an early 1-0 lead before WLC tallied single runs in the second and third. Junior Addison Gelande (Port Byron, Ill.) evened the score on a two-out bases loaded walk drawn by junior Ashley Corley (Plainfield, Ill.), and junior Lexi Martin (Westfield, Ind.) took an extra base to cross the plate on sophomore Taylor Peterson's (Beloit, Wis.) groundout to the pitcher.

Plymouth State took back the lead at 3-2 in its half of the third on a sacrifice fly and RBI single. 

Patience paid off for Wisconsin Lutheran in the fourth inning, as they drew seven walks to score six runs. The Warriors' lone hit in the inning came from sophomore Cara Velez's (Chicago, Ill.) two-out, two-run single to open up a five-run lead.

The Panthers scored a run on a sac fly in the fifth, but Peterson got the run back with a RBI single the following inning for a 9-4 advantage. PSU plated two runs on five hits in its half of the sixth, but left two runners on base, and were retired in order in its last at-bat.

Four players had one hit each for WLC, led by Velez's two RBI. Martin scored twice and added a pair of walks. Sophomore Melissa Tonn (West Allis, Wis.) improved to 3-0 on the season in the circle by pitching 5.1 innings and allowing five earned runs. She didn't walk a batter and fanned one. Sophomore Callie Terrill (Minooka, Ill.) picked up her second save with three strikeouts over the final 1.2 innings.

The Falcons (7-3) scored four first-inning runs to take the first-inning lead over Wisconsin Lutheran in game two. Martin put the Warriors on the board in their half of the first with her first home run of the season, a solo shot to left field.

UWRF added two runs in the third, two in the sixth, and three more in the seventh for the final 11-1 tally. 

Martin recorded two of the three hits for WLC, which stranded two runners in base in both the fifth and sixth innings. Terrill was dealt the loss in the circle, giving up six earned on nine hits.

Wisconsin Lutheran plays two more games on Tuesday at Hancock Park against Mount Saint Mary (3-1) and Simpson (8-2) at 9 and 11:30 a.m. ET. Live coverage links will be available at WLCSports.com.