Warriors start with season-opening split
Thomas fans eight in first victory of 2012
March 12, 2012
Kendra ThomasBox Score vs. SUNY-Potsdam
Box Score vs. Curry (Mass.)
FORT MYERS, Fla. – The Wisconsin Lutheran College softball team opened its season with a 9-4 win over SUNY Potsdam before falling 8-0 to Curry in its first two games of the 2012 campaign Monday night at the Lee County Sports Complex.
In the 9-4 opening win, it was the Warriors who jumped out to a quick 1-0 lead in the top of the first. Dayan Gacgacao (Chicago, Ill./Whitney Young) roped a double and scored on a wild pitch later in the inning to put the Wisconsin Lutheran on the scoreboard.
WLC tacked on three more runs in the top of the fourth to go up 4-0. Kendra Thomas (Jenison, Mich./Jenison) roped an RBI single in the frame, while Jocelyn Bykowski (Greendale, Wis./Greendale) and Mindy Schalinske (Burlington, Wis./Shoreland Lutheran) added singles of their own.
The Bears (3-2) would rally back, however. as they scored twice in both the fourth and fifth innings tying the score at 4-4. WLC answered in the fifth as Schalinske led off reaching on an error and Gacgacao followed with a double putting runners on second and third with no outs. Schalinske would then score on a fielder’s choice to put the Warriors up 5-4.
After shutting down SUNY Potsdam in the sixth, WLC put up some insurance runs, scoring four times in the seventh inning to go up 9-4. Emily Sievert had the big hit in the inning when she smacked a three-RBI bases clearing double.
Gacgacao paced Wisconsin Lutheran with a 3-for-5 performance while Sievert drove in a team-best four runs in the game. Thomas picked up the win on the mound throwing a complete game, striking out eight and allowing five hits.
Megan Johnson took the loss for the Bears pitching 2 1/3 innings in relief. Brittany Pawlowski paced Potsdam’s offensive attack with two hits.
In the second game, Wisconsin Lutheran fell to Curry (Mass.) (1-1) 8-0 in six innings. The game was scoreless after two innings, but the turning point came in the third inning when the Colonels scored five runs. Curry added two in the fifth and then scored in the sixth to win by the eight-run rule.
Jinny Curtis (Muskego, Wis./Wisconsin Lutheran) and Sievert picked up hits for the Warriors in the loss. Thomas took the loss on the mound after throwing three innings.
Picking up the win for Curry was Taylor Ahearn as she went the distance allowing just two hits and striking out six. Caitlin Luguet had two hits and scored two runs to pace the Colonels offense.
Wisconsin Lutheran (1-1) returns to the diamond tomorrow morning when it will play a pair of games beginning with a 9 a.m. contest versus Polytechnic (N.Y.), followed by a game at 11 a.m. against Salem State (Mass.).
