SUPERIOR, Wis. -- Freshman right-hander
Allison Luoma (Iron River, Wis./Northwestern) tossed an 11-strikeout one-hitter ub the first gane and the Yellowjackets hung 12 runs and 12 hits on Finlandia in the second to complete a non-conference sweep at NBC Spartan Sports Complex on Sunday.
Luoma, who threw 5 1/3 innings of no-hit ball against Bethany Lutheran on Saturday in a no decision, followed it by facing just four batters over the minimum in a 5-0 victory. Superior earned the sweep with a 12-0 five-inning, run-rule victory in the nightcap to stretch its winning steak to eight games.
Superior (17-5) finished a perfect 6-0 on the week, including Upper Midwest Athletic Conference sweeps at Martin Luther on Monday and against the Vikings Saturday.
Game 1 -- UW-Superior 5, Finlandia 0
Luoma improved to 5-2 on the season, allowing just three walks on the day. She induced six groundouts and four outs in the air in 105 pitches.
Luoma retired the first nine Finlandia hitters in order, including six by strikeout. She struck out the side in the third inning before allowing Jaden Matthews to reach via a walk to begin the fourth. Shortstop Rheanna Bain followed with the Lions' only hit -- a bunt single to third base.
Finlandia (0-24) did not get a runner beyond first base but remained in the game much of the way as the UWS offense took time to get in gear. UWS scratched together a run in the third when freshman
Lily Hanson (Cloquet, Minn./Esko) hit a two-out single off of Finlandia starter Shyann Vernam(0-17)and stole second.
Olivia Bancroft-Hart (Cambria, Wis./Cambria-Friesland) followed with an RBI single through the right side for the lead.
UWS added two more runs in the fourth and sixth innings, respectively, for the final margin.
Jessica Jacobson (Sturgeon Bay, Wis./Southern Door) hit a two-run infield singledeep in the shortstop hole with two out in the fourth, plating Luoma and pinch runner
Erika Mattson (Ely, Minn./Ely Memorial).
Luoma helped herself with an RBI single in the sixth that scored
Zoe Thomson (Le Sueur, Minn./Le Sueur-Henderson) with one out, and two batters later,
Bryton Kukowski's (Duluth, Minn./Hermantown) run-scoring grounder to third chased home Luoma.
Luoma closed the no-hitter with a pair of strikeouts in the seventh, including getting Malone Hiebertswinging to end the game.
Jacobson finished 2-for-3 at the plate with a pair of RBIs for UWS. Bancroft-Hart,
Norah Schmitz (Waconia, Minn./Waconia), Thomson (a sixth-inning double for the game's only extra-base hit) and Luoma collected the other knocks.
Vernam allowed seven hits, five earned runs and two walks in a complete-game effort.
Game 2 -- UW-Superior 12, Finlandia 0 (five innings)
UWS jumped out to a 4-0 advantage in the first inning of the second game on three hits and three Finlandia errors.
Ellie Macal (Winona, Minn./Cotter) and Schmitz each had RBI base hits in the stanza, with Schmitz slashing a double down the left-field line to score Macal.
The 'Jackets sent 13 to the plate in the second inning and received RBI knocks from Thomson,
Izzy Lingle (Enumclaw, Wash./Enumclaw), Bancroft-Hart and Hanson to break the game open.
From there, freshman lefty
Emma Pillion (Ottawa, Ill./Ottawa Township) limited Finlandia to just two hits and a walk in five innings to pick up her second collegiate victory in the circle. Pillion struck out two, while getting nine groundball outs in her outing.
Sixteen different position players saw action for UWS, which was led offensively by Macal (2-for-3, two runs scored, two RBIs, three stolen bases) and Schmitz (2-for-2, double, RBI, run, walk, steal)
Vernam gave up all 12 runs, which were unearned with a walk and strikeout in four innings.
UWS returns to action Tuesday in a UMAC doubleheader at North Central. First pitch at Xcel Field Park in Minneapolis is set for 1 p.m.
