Late-Inning Outburst Sends Softball To Thursday Split

WINTER HAVEN, Fla. (WLCSports.com) - Wisconsin Lutheran College broke open a scoreless game by plating all 11 runs over the final two innings for an 11-2 win over Augsburg on Thursday at DiamondPlex Softball Complex. The Warriors dropped their second game of the day to Endicott, 11-3.

WLC (5-5), which split games on its Florida trip for the fourth straight day, took a scoreless game into the sixth inning with the Auggies (10-4). Both teams had scoring chances early, as AU left eight runners on base through the first five innings, while Wisconsin Lutheran stranded five.

The Warriors' first three batters reached base in the sixth, and sophomore Taylor Peterson (Beloit, Wis.) plated the first run of the game after sophomore Gwen Malecke (Gilberts, Ill.) singled. Freshman Juliana Sieber (Oconto, Wis.) executed a successful steal of home and Malecke came around to score on a sac bunt from sophomore Olivia Krieser (Stoughton, Wis.). 

Augsburg answered with its first run in the sixth on a one-out solo home run to trim its deficit to two, before the floodgates opened for WLC. Run-scoring hits from Malecke, Krieser, freshman Emily Cardenas (Lake Stevens, Wash.), and Peterson fueled the eight-run frame. Cardenas also crossed home on a bases loaded walk and sophomore Jackey Farias (San Diego, Calif.) scored on a wild pitch in the inning. 

Peterson went 3-for-5 with two RBI and two runs scored for Wisconsin Lutheran, which set season-highs for runs (11), RBI (8), stolen bases (4), and sacrifice hits (3). Sophomore Melissa Tonn (West Allis, Wis.) improved to 5-0 on the year after pitching 6.1 innings and allowing just one run.

The Gulls (5-3) scored runs in each of the first three innings of game two, and six of seven total. Trailing 6-0 in the bottom of the third, Martin smashed her third home run of the season to right field, brining home junior Ashley Corley (Plainfield, Ill.) for the Warriors' first runs of the contest.

Martin scored the team's third run of the game in the sixth when she came home from third on a caught stealing play at second.

Martin went 2-for-3 with two RBI and two runs scored. Junior Kacey Mietsner (Elwood, Ill.) tossed 2.2 innings in the circle and was dealt the defeat. 

WLC wraps up its spring break trip tomorrow with two games against Springfield (7-1) and New England (3-5) at 9 a.m. and 11:30 a.m. ET, respectively.