WAUWATOSA, Wis. (WLCSports.com) - Sophomore
Madison Heller (South Milwaukee, Wis.) delivered the walk-off winner to lift Wisconsin Lutheran College to a 3-2 victory in game two of a Northern Athletics Collegiate Conference doubleheader over Rockford on Saturday at Neumann Family Softball Field. The Regents earned the split with a 6-5 victory over the Warriors in game one.
GAME 1
WLCÂ struck early on the scoreboard as sophomore
Alea Anhalt (Fond du Lac, Wis.) blasted a solo homerun in the first inning, giving the hosts a 1-0 advantage. RU tallied three runs on five hits in the third inning to lead 3-1. After Rockford added a run in its half of the fourth, Wisconsin Lutheran answered with a RBI single from sophomore
Sommer Krull (New London, Wis.) to cut the deficit in half, 4-2, before the Regents threw out a runner at the plate. RU added a pair of insurance runs in the fifth, but the Warriors got a run back as Anhalt plated sophomore
Ally Stancel (Yorkville, Ill.), trimming the deficit to 6-3. After freshman
Teagan Piven (Plainfield, Ill.) stranded a pair of Rockford base runners in the sixth, senior
Olivia Krieser (Stoughton, Wis.) brought WLC to within 6-4 on a RBI single. Heller started a last-inning rally with a bunt single and later came around to score on a sacrifice fly from Anhalt, but Wisconsin Lutheran left the tying run at the plate as it dropped the opener 6-5.
Anhalt went 2-for-3 with a homerun and three RBI to lead Wisconsin Lutheran. Heller added a pair of hits and a stolen base in the opening contest. Senior
Melissa Tonn (West Allis, Wis.) suffered the defeat in the circle, allowing three earned runs in 4.1 innings. Piven tossed 2.2 scoreless innings in relief.
For the Regents, Bella Lima earned the victory in the circle with a complete game effort and went 2-for-4 at the plate with a homerun. RU, which tallied 12 hits, had four players collect multi-hit performances.
GAME 2
Rockford collected a two-out run in the first inning of game two, but freshman
Kieghtan Rank (Madison, Wis.) stranded the bases loaded to keep it a 1-0 game. Neither offense was able to crack the scoreboard as the game remained 1-0 through four innings. The Regents threatened to add an insurance run in the fifth with a runner on third and just one out, but Piven entered out of the bullpen and escaped the jam scoreless with a groundout and a strikeout. Senior
Allison Powers (Sun Prairie, Wis.) led off the Warriors' fifth with a double before advancing to third on a sac bunt and later scored on a wild pitch to knot the score at 1-1. RU regained the lead the next half inning on a two-out RBI single. With two down in the bottom of the sixth, Krull hit her first homerun of the season to knot the score at 2-2. Following a three-up, three-down top of the seventh, freshman
Maritza Martinez (Kenosha, Wis.) started the rally with a hit by pitch. After a sacrifice bunt and a Rockford fielding error, Heller slapped a single to center to finish WLC's comeback, 3-2.
Wisconsin Lutheran collected just four hits in the contest, one apiece by Heller, Krull, Powers, and senior
Gwen Malecke (Gilberts, Ill.). Piven earned the win in 2.2 innings of relief, allowing one run with four punchouts. Rank did not factor in the decision but scattered six hits and a pair of walks to allow just one run in 4.1 innings of work.
Kariana Williams allowed just two hits and one run in 5.0 innings for the Regents (9-3, 1-1 NACC). Neelah Vandeberg suffered the loss in 1.1 innings of relief. Bella Lima and Chayton Krueger recorded two hits each for RU, which left eight runners on base.
The Warriors (6-9, 1-1 NACC) continue conference play with a trip to Aurora (9-5, 0-0 NACC) next Saturday. First pitch of the doubleheader is scheduled for 12 p.m. at Bedrosian Stadium. Live coverage links can be found at WLCSports.com.
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