OSHKOSH, Wis. – The Yellowjacket softball team found itself back in the dome Saturday, playing its first game under the Teflon roof in southern Wisconsin at the UW-Oshkosh Invitational. The Yellowjackets took the field twice Saturday, and came away with a pair of victories at the UWO Rec Plex Dome.
 
In the opener, the Yellowjackets scored early and often on the way to a 9-2 win over Wisconsin Lutheran College. In the second game, the Yellowjackets rode another big inning on the way to a 6-3 win over Loras College.
 
With the wins, the Yellowjackets improve to 3-1 on the year. They will play two more games in Oshkosh before heading south for their spring trip to Florida.
 
In the opener, Bella Garley (Albuquerque, N.M./Porter (Tex.)) starred for the Yellowjackets, getting the win in the circle to improve to 1-1 on the year. She also drove in four runs while going 2-for-3 at the plate. In the second game Peyton Bennett (Harrisburg, S.D./Harrisburg) had the big blow, driving in two as the Yellowjackets plated six in the second inning.

Game One Notes

• In the bottom of the first Garley opened the scoring, driving a two-out single with the bases loaded to center field, bringing in two. An error plated the third run of the game for the Yellowjackets.
• The scoring continued in the bottom of the second when Lily Hanson (Cloquet, Minn./Esko) scored on a Bennett double. Bennett then came home on a single to center by Zoe Thomson (Le Sueur, Minn./Le Sueur-Henderson). Garley then singled to left, plating two more and it was 7-0.
• It stayed that way until the top of the fifth when Wisconsin Lutheran scored twice, but in bottom of the fifth the Yellowjackets got one back when Hanson scored on a fielder's choice to push the score to 8-2.
• The Yellowjackets closed out the scoring in the bottom of the sixth when Carly Stuckmayer (Delano, Minn./Delano) singled home Sophia Otto (Mequon, Wis./Homestead).
• The Yellowjackets outhit Wisconsin Lutheran 16-7 in the game.
• Stuckmayer and Karen Balabon (Elk River, Minn./Elk River) each had three hits.
• The top four hitters in the Yellowjacket order – Stuckmayer, Balabon, Bennett and Thomson went a combined 10-for-19.
• Six players had at least two hits.
• Garley went the distance in the game, allowing two runs on seven hits to go along with a walk and four strikeouts.

Game Two Notes

• After a scoreless first inning the Yellowjackets blew the game with Loras open with a six-run second.
• Hanson walked with the bases loaded, scoring Baylee O'Donnell (Mendota Hights, Minn./Richfield) top open the scoring. Balabon followed with another bases-loaded walk, increasing the lead.
• Bennett delivered the big blow in the inning, singling through the left side to score two runs. A third run came home on an error, increasing the lead to 5-0. Bennett then scored on a single to center by Thomson, making it 6-0.
• It stayed that way until Loras broke through, scoring twice in the bottom of the fifth to cut the deficit to 6-2. They added their final run in the seventh.
• Samantha Swartz (Antigo, Wis./Antigo) got the start in the circle and earned the win, improving to 2-0. The reigning UMAC Pitcher of the Week pitched 6.1 innings and allowed three runs on five hits. She walked one and struck out two.
• Garley recorded the final two outs in the circle.
• Swartz also had a good game at the plate, going 2-for-3 with a run scored.

The Yellowjackets return to the field for two more games Sunday. They will play host UW-Oshkosh, ranked No. 4 in the country at 10 a.m. before closing the day against Beloit College at 2 p.m. Both games will be at the UWO Rec Plex Dome.
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