Softball Splits Season Opener Saturday In Oshkosh

OSHKOSH, Wis. (WLCSports.com) - Wisconsin Lutheran College opened its 2023 season on Saturday with a split at the UW-Oshkosh Dome Tournament.

The Warriors (1-1) dropped their first game of the split doubleheader to UW-Superior (1-1) 11-7 before claiming a 6-1 victory over Lawrence (0-1).

The Yellowjackets capitalized on two errors and had one hit to score three times in the third inning. WLC plated two runs with two outs in the fourth, as sophomore Taylor Peterson's (Beloit, Wis.) RBI double and junior Briana Vilches' (Fontana, Calif.) run-scoring single brought them within a run. A three-run, three-hit fifth frame put Wisconsin Lutheran ahead 5-3 after a sophomore Gwen Malecke (Gilberts, Ill.) double, a single from junior Maddy Chestolowski (Appleton, Wis.), and a groundout from Peterson.

UWS erupted for eight runs on nine hits in its half of the fifth for a six-run lead. Wisconsin Lutheran whittled the deficit to four in the sixth with a two-run single by Malecke. 

Juniors Ashley Corley (Plainfield, Ill.) and Lexi Martin (Westfield, Ind.) each went 2-for-3 with two runs and a walk. Chestolowski and Malecke also had a pair of hits, while Malecke drove in three runs.

The Warriors jumped out to an early 2-0 lead in the first inning against the Vikings, as Martin's single plated Corley and Malecke. Martin drove in another run in the fourth with a sacrifice fly to right that scored sophomore Chloe De Leon (Northbrook, Ill.) for a 3-0 advantage. 

LU cracked the scoring column in the sixth with its first run on two hits, but stranded a pair on base after sophomore Callie Terrill (Minooka, Ill.) struckout consecutive batters to end the frame. WLC plated a trio of insurance runs in the sixth. Martin's double drove home De Leon and Corley, and junior Addison Gelande (Port Byron, Ill.) followed with a RBI single that scored Martin.

Martin finished 3-for-3 with five RBI and a run, while Chestolowski added three hits. Sophomore Melissa Tonn (West Allis, Wis.) scattered five hits over 4.0 scoreless innings to earn the win. Terrill tossed the final 3.0 innings to notch the save.

Wisconsin Lutheran travels to Florida next week for 10 games in six days at the Spring Games. The Warriors begin play against Macalester (4-2) and New England (0-0) on Sunday, March 12.