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University of Wisconsin-Superior Athletics

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Wisconsin-Superior
Yellowjackets
Katie White
Jade Jensen

Softball

Softball Team Splits, Snaps Losing Skid

Katie White pitched all but 2.2 innings Sunday against River Falls.
Box Score 1 | Box Score 2

The month of April has been anything but kind to the Yellowjacket softball team. After a promising start to the season, including a 12-2 trip through Florida, things have gone awry in the year's fourth month. Sunday the Yellowjackets put everything together and split their doubleheader with UW-River Falls at Liebaert Field, snapping an 11-game losing streak in the process.

River Falls 15, Yellowjackets 7

Sunday's first game was essentially a tale of three games, as River Falls opened up a big lead early, only to have the Yellowjackets steal the momentum and tie it up. River Falls turned the offense back on late, however, and ran away with the opener, winning 15-7.

Each team scored a run in the first inning, with the Yellowjackets executing a textbook double steal with two outs in the inning. Brittany Thomfohrda (Cushing, Wis./Unity) singled to lead off the inning, and two hitters later Megan Nelson (Carlton, Minn./Carlton) singled to put runners on the corners. Nelson broke for second and on the play Thomfohrda came home with the run that tied the game at 1-1. The Yellowjackets had a chance to blow things open early, but they left the bases loaded in the inning.

River Falls broke the game open in the top of the second, as they strung together four hits to score four times. Katie Thompson, who drove in the run for the Falcons in the first inning, brought home two more on a single in the second, and when the inning was done the Falcons led 5-1. In the third inning the Falcons scored twice more, banging out three hits and using a pair of Yellowjacket errors to open up a 7-1 advantage. Of bigger concern for the Yellowjackets were injuries to starting pitcher Sarah Hendrickson (Duluth, Minn./Denfeld), who took a line drive off the leg, and starting catcher Sasha Fjeran (Two Harbors, Minn./Two Harbors), who was hurt blocking a pitch in the dirt. Both would leave the game, forcing Yellowjacket Head Coach Roger Plachta to turn to his bench for help.

Whatever Plachta did worked, as the Yellowjackets slowly began to chip away at the Falcon lead.

In the bottom of the third Shelly Misco (Appleton, Wis./Appleton North) led off with a double to right field. She went to third when Kristen Haider (Dassel, Minn./Dassel-Cokato) singled. Two batters later Misco scored on a single by Ciarra Taipale (Duluth, Minn.). Sally Linzmeier (Valders, Wis./Valders) followed with a base hit that scored Haider and pulled the Yellowjackets to within four at 7-3.

The Yellowjackets had a big inning in the fourth to come all the way back and tie the game.

Whitney Brugman (Marquette, Mich./Marquette) and Nicole Weigman (White Bear Lake, Minn.) started the inning with back-to-back singles. After a fielder's choice, Misco singled to right field, scoring Mikayla Haynes (Duluth, Minn./Denfeld) who pinch ran for Brugman, with the first run of the inning. Haider then singled home another run to make it a two-run game. Nelson was then hit by a pitch, giving the Yellowjackets a bases loaded scenario for the second time in the game. Two hitters later Linzmeier, delivered, singling to right field, scoring two and tying the game at 7-7.

As quickly as the Yellowjackets tied the game, River Falls regained control to put the game away. In the top of the sixth the Falcons scored three times to push the lead to 10-7. Then in the top of the seventh they added five more, thanks to back-to-back home runs from Kaitlyn LePine and Thompson, whose was a three-run shot to left center field, making the final score 15-7.

Hendrickson lasted 2.2 innings before her injury, giving up seven runs (six earned) on 10 hits. She had one strikeout. Katie White (Pequot Lakes, Minn./Peguot Lakes) came on in relief and pitched the rest of the way, allowing eight runs (seven earned) on eight hits. She walked one and struck out two. White took the loss and her record on the year dropped to 0-5.

Haider had three of the Yellowjackets' 11 hits in the game. Misco added two hits.

For River Falls, Thompson had a monster game, going 3-for-5 and driving in six runs, while Abbie Morris went 4-for-5, scored three times and drove in three runs.

Three Falcon pitchers combined to get the victory in the first game.

Yellowjackets 10, River Falls 6

The injury-depleted Yellowjackets made some noise in the first game, and they kept the offense rolling in the second game. For the second straight game the Yellowjackets pounded out 11 hits, and combined with the right arm of White in the circle the home team salvaged a doubleheader split with a 10-6 victory.

Just like in the first game River Falls scored in the top of the first, and just like in the first game the Yellowjackets answered, only this time they took a lead that they would never give up.

Down one and with one out, Misco walked and Haider singled up the middle. Nelson followed with a bases-clearing triple to give the Yellowjackets the lead. Nelson would score a run herself, coming home on a Linzmeier single to center field to make it 3-1.

The Yellowjackets added to the lead in the bottom of the second. With two runners in scoring position Haider was walked intentionally and Nelson made the Falcons pay, doubling to right field and bringing in two more runs to push the advantage to 5-1.

River Falls crept back to within two runs when they scored twice in the top of the third, but the Yellowjackets got those runs back in the bottom of the inning. Kari Shipman (Frazee, Minn.) singled with one out and then stole second. She came home on a Thomfohrda base hit. Haider brought home Thomfohrda later in the inning with a two-out single to center and the four-run lead was restored at 7-3.

The Falcons got a run back in the top of the fifth, but once again the Yellowjackets had an answer in the bottom of the inning. With two outs and Thomfohrda on second, Haider drove her team-leading seventh home run of the year over the fence in left field to give the Yellowjackets a 9-4 lead.

River Falls scored twice in the top of the sixth to make it interesting, but Linzmeier scored in the bottom of the inning on a passed ball to make the final score 10-6.

It was another big game for Haider, as she again racked up three hits, scored twice and drove in three runs. Nelson had two hits and drove in four, while Misco and Linzmeier each had two hits.

White showed guts on the rubber, going the distance to earn her first collegiate win. She moved to 1-5 on the year after giving up six runs (four earned) on 11 hits.

Morris and Michelle LaCasse had three hits each to lead River Falls.

The Yellowjackets (16-16, 2-12 WIAC) will close out the 2015 season Monday when they host UW-Stout in a doubleheader at Liebaert Field. Game time is set for 2:00 p.m.
 
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Players Mentioned

Whitney Brugman

#33 Whitney Brugman

IF
5' 6"
Senior
R/R
Sasha Fjeran

#24 Sasha Fjeran

C/OF
5' 4"
Junior
R/R
Kristen Haider

#7 Kristen Haider

IF
5' 4"
Senior
R/R
Mikayla Haynes

#11 Mikayla Haynes

C/IF
5' 3"
Sophomore
R/R
Sarah Hendrickson

#21 Sarah Hendrickson

P/IF
5' 2"
Sophomore
R/R
Sally Linzmeier

#3 Sally Linzmeier

OF
5' 7"
Junior
R/R
Shelly Misco

#14 Shelly Misco

IF
5' 7"
Junior
R/R
Megan Nelson

#13 Megan Nelson

IF
5' 7"
Junior
R/R
Brittany Thomfohrda

#18 Brittany Thomfohrda

OF
5' 9"
Junior
R/R
Kari Shipman

#2 Kari Shipman

OF
5' 6"
Junior
Ciarra Stavang

#9 Ciarra Stavang

OF
5' 7"
Freshman
Katie White

#5 Katie White

IF
5' 9"
Freshman

Players Mentioned

Whitney Brugman

#33 Whitney Brugman

5' 6"
Senior
R/R
IF
Sasha Fjeran

#24 Sasha Fjeran

5' 4"
Junior
R/R
C/OF
Kristen Haider

#7 Kristen Haider

5' 4"
Senior
R/R
IF
Mikayla Haynes

#11 Mikayla Haynes

5' 3"
Sophomore
R/R
C/IF
Sarah Hendrickson

#21 Sarah Hendrickson

5' 2"
Sophomore
R/R
P/IF
Sally Linzmeier

#3 Sally Linzmeier

5' 7"
Junior
R/R
OF
Shelly Misco

#14 Shelly Misco

5' 7"
Junior
R/R
IF
Megan Nelson

#13 Megan Nelson

5' 7"
Junior
R/R
IF
Brittany Thomfohrda

#18 Brittany Thomfohrda

5' 9"
Junior
R/R
OF
Kari Shipman

#2 Kari Shipman

5' 6"
Junior
OF
Ciarra Stavang

#9 Ciarra Stavang

5' 7"
Freshman
OF
Katie White

#5 Katie White

5' 9"
Freshman
IF