WAUWATOSA, Wis. (WLCSports.com) – Wisconsin Lutheran College rallied with two runs in the bottom of the seventh inning to secure a 4-3 game two Northern Athletics Collegiate Conference victory over St. Norbert on Monday at Neumann Family Softball Field. The Green Knights took the opener from the Warriors, 7-3.
Game 1: St. Norbert 7, Wisconsin Lutheran 3
The Warriors (9-11, 3-3 NACC) answered an early deficit in the first inning. Junior
Julianna Alloy (Harrison Township, Mich.) singled and later scored on a sacrifice fly by freshman
Anna Bracke (Brookfield, Wis.) to tie the game at 1-1.
The Green Knights (9-7, 1-1 NACC) regained the lead in the second on an RBI double and added a single run in the fifth. SNC broke the game open in the sixth, capitalizing on a sacrifice fly and a two-run sequence aided by a WLC error to extend the lead to 6-1.
Wisconsin Lutheran chipped away late, as Bracke delivered an RBI double in the sixth and freshman
Peyton Crutcher (Ashwaubenon, Wis.) scored on a passed ball in the seventh, but the rally fell short.
Bracke led the Warriors at the plate, going 2-for-2 with two RBIs. Crutcher added a hit and a run scored, while Alloy, junior
Sommer Krull (New London, Wis.), sophomore
Maritza Martinez (Kenosha, Wis.), and sophomore
Daylanna Morgese (Milwaukee, Wis.) each recorded a hit.
Elly Kirst paced St. Norbert with a perfect 4-for-4 performance, scoring twice and driving in a run. Ava Engwall added three hits and scored once, while Allison Ardito drove in two runs. Addison Maurer earned the victory, allowing three runs (one earned) on six hits over six innings while striking out three.
Game 2: Wisconsin Lutheran 4, St. Norbert 3
Trailing 3-2 entering its final at-bat, WLC put together a clutch sequence to walk it off. A fielder's choice off the bat of Martinez brought home the tying run, and Morgese followed with a game-winning RBI single to left-center to plate Bracke.
The Green Knights struck first in the opening inning. delivering an RBI fielder's choice for a 1-0 lead.
Wisconsin Lutheran answered in the second, capitalizing on a pair of SNC errors. Freshman
Rebecca Reddeman (Canton, Mich.) scored on a dropped fly ball before Alloy added an RBI single to give the Warriors a 2-1 advantage.
SNC evened the score in the third with an RBI double, and regained the lead in the fifth on a sacrifice fly that made it 3-2.
From there, WLC's pitching staff kept the deficit at one before the offense delivered in the seventh.
Alloy led Wisconsin Lutheran offensively, finishing 2-for-4 with an RBI. Bracke added a hit and a run scored, while Morgese provided the decisive RBI off the bench. Krull, Crutcher, and freshman
Madi Kaprelian (Racine, Wis.) also recorded hits as part of the Warriors' seven-hit effort. Sophomore
Teagan Piven (Plainfield, Ill.) earned the win in relief, tossing 2.2 shutout innings while allowing no hits and striking out three.
Ardito paced St. Norbert, going 2-for-3 with two RBIs, while Molley Reichenberger and Grendel Sprong each added two hits.
WLC is next scheduled to host Maranatha Baptist (0-8) on Thursday, April 2 in a 2 p.m. non-conference doubleheader at Neumann Family Softball Field. Live coverage links can be found at WLCSports.com.
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