Solid Pitching, Timely Hitting Send Softball To Pair Of Wins

CLERMONT, Fla. (WLCSports.com) - Wisconsin Lutheran College used solid pitching and timely hitting to collect a pair of victories over Rutgers-Camden and Carroll on Thursday at Hancock Park. The Warriors defeated the Raptors 4-3 in the opener before handing the Pioneers a 4-2 defeat. 

WLC (3-7) jumped on top of RC (2-6) in the first inning with three runs. Senior Lexi Martin (Westfield, Ind.) singled to center to score sophomore Emily Cardenas (Lake Stevens, Wash.). Junior Gwen Malecke (Gilberts, Ill.) followed with a RBI single that plated senior Ashley Corley (Plainfield, Ill.), and Martin tallied the third score on a run-scoring groundout by freshman Sommer Krull (New London, Wis.).

Rutgers-Camden scored its first run in the fourth inning on an infield RBI groundout, but Wisconsin Lutheran escaped further damage by turning an inning-ending 6-4-3 double play. The Warriors answered the run with a RBI single in the bottom half of the inning from Cardenas that brought home freshman Madison Heller (South Milwaukee, Wis.).

The Raptors cut their deficit in half in the sixth after bringing home a runner from third after executing a rundown. RC added its final run in the top of the seventh with a RBI single, but left the tying run at the plate as the game ended on a fielder's choice putout. 

Cardenas went 2-for-3 with a RBI and run scored for WLC. Junior Melissa Tonn (West Allis, Wis.) earned her first win of the season with six strikeouts and one run earned in 5.1 innings.

Wisconsin Lutheran broke through for three runs in the fifth inning of its second game after stranding six runners on base through the first three frames. Freshman Ally Stancel (Yorkville, Ill.) scored on an error with the bases loaded and freshman Alea Anhalt (Fond du Lac, Wis.) drew a bases loaded walk the next at-bat for a 2-0 lead. 

CU (6-8) tied the contest at 2-2 in the fifth inning by capitalizing on a two-run throwing error. The Warriors escaped the inning by retiring the next two hitters and stranding two runners in scoring position. 

Carroll left the bases loaded in the sixth and two more runners stranded in the seventh before the game went into extras. Cardenas came through with a two-RBI single with two outs in the top of the eighth that brought home junior Olivia Krieser (Stoughton, Wis.) and sophomore Juliana Sieber (Oconto, Wis.) for a 4-2 lead. Tonn avoided any threat in the last of the eighth to send WLC home with a victory.

Cardenas, Martin, and Anhalt tallied Wisconsin Lutheran's three hits in game two. Tonn picked up her second win in as many appearances with 2.1 innings of scoreless relief.

The Warriors wrap up their spring break week in Florida tomorrow with a pair of games against Mount St. Joseph (6-6) and North Central (9-2). The games are scheduled for 9 a.m. ET and 11:15 a.m. ET at Fortune Road Athletic Complex in Kissimmee, Florida. Live coverage links can be found at WLCSports.com.