The UW-Stout softball team delivered a strong all-around performance Thursday afternoon, securing a doubleheader sweep over St. Scholastica at Alumni Field. The Blue Devils earned a 5-2 victory in the opener before closing the day with a 6-3 win in Game 2.
Game 1: UW-Stout 5, St. Scholastica 2
A four-run fourth lifted the Blue Devils to a game one victory.
After a scoreless first inning, St. Scholastica added a run in the second and third innings in to take a 2-0 lead into the fourth.
Stout responded with four runs in the bottom of the fourth, capitalizing on six hits. Emma Muehlenbeck led off with a double to left field. Donna D’Addabbo drove Muehlenbeck home with a single to center and advanced to second on the throw. Rayni Bresnahan moved the runner to third, and Stephanie Khun singled through the right side to tie the game at two. Sammy Noreen singled up the middle,e and Liz Rohl drove in both with a single to right center.
The Blue Devils added an insurance run in the bottom of the fifth, Donna D’Addabbo reached second on an error and came around to score on a single to right center by Khun. Kuhn finished 3-3 with two RBI and a run scored.
Anna Blanford allowed just three base runners the next three innings to close out the game and improve to 5-5. She pitched 3.2 innings, giving up just three hits and striking out five.
Game 2: UW-Stout 6, St. Scholastica 3
The Blue Devils carried their momentum into Game 2, jumping on the Saints early and holding off a late push to complete the sweep.
Stout wasted no time getting on the board, striking for three runs in the bottom of the first inning. Stephanie Kuhn sparked the rally with an RBI triple to right field, scoring Emma Muehlenbeck. Kuhn then came home on a wild pitch, and Rayni Bresnahan added a sacrifice fly to make it 3-0.
The Blue Devils continued to apply pressure in the second. Muehlenbeck hit a sac fly to left to give Stout a 4-0 lead after two innings of play.
Muehlenbeck added a two-run single to right in the bottom of the fourth to give Stout a 6-0 lead.
St. Scholastica made things interesting late, scoring two runs in the fifth on a pair of RBI singles and adding another run in the sixth to trim the deficit to 6-3. However, Blanford (W, 6-5) showed poise in the circle, stranding multiple runners in scoring position and striking out the final batter to close out the game.
Blanford earned her second complete-game win of the day, scattering 11 hits while striking out eight.
Up Next:
With the sweep, UW-Stout improves to 7-11 on the season and will be back in action on Saturday, April 6th, when they travel to St. Paul, Minn., for a doubleheader with St. Catherine.
