The Northland College softball team swept Martin Luther today in a doubleheader played in Duluth, Minn.  The LumberJills won convincingly in the first game 11-0 in five innings.  The second game came down to the wire with Northland getting a 7-6 win.

In the opener Jayna Loy (Sr., Ontario, Calif.) tossed a three hit shutout for Northland.  Loy helped stake herself to an early lead in the first inning when she doubled and scored on Cassie Baumgarten's (So., Becker, Minn.) RBI single.  The Jills added another run in the third when following a Loy single, Baumgarten tripled her home.  The floodgates opened in the fourth as Northland sent fourteen players to the plate.  The Jills had eight hits in the inning including a double by Averi Kanyuh (Fr., Rapid River, Mich.) and a home run by Faye Koosmann (So., Mellen, Wis.).  Northland finished the game with 13 hits.

The second game required the LumberJills to play from behind.  The Knights got four unearned runs in the second inning and added a solo home run in the third to take a 5-0 lead.  The fourth inning again proved to be explosive for Northland as Koosmann led off the frame with a home run.  With an error, a walk, and three more hits, including a double by Carolyn Malecha (Jr., Belle Plaine, Minn.) Northland scored six runs and led 6-5.  The lead held up until the top of the seventh when the Knights led off with a triple and bunted the runner home to tie the score.  In the bottom of the seventh Katie Groeschel (So., Green Bay, Wis.) picked up a one out hit. Kelsey Bodart (So., Oconto Falls, Wis.) then reached on a fielder's choice in which Groeschel was forced out.  Kaitlyn Witthun (So., Cambria, Wis.) singled moving Bodart to second.  Loy then rapped a walk off single scoring Bodart.  Northland had 12 hits on the day. Loy picked up her second win of the day in relief of Crystal Diaz (Fr., Burbank, Wis.).

"I was happy with our play today." said Head Coach Steve Wammer, "We took control of things in the first game, and then in the second game when we had one bad inning, we kept our composure made a comeback and found a way to win.  Both our pitchers did a great job today, Crystal pitched well enough to win but had some bad luck.  However she put us in position to win."

The game marked the last time the LumberJills would face longtime Martin Luther Head Coach Barb Leopold who will be retiring at the end of the season.  the LumberJills present Leopold, and avid fisher, with a gift from St. Croix Rods prior to the game. 

"I have always enjoyed playing Barb's teams." Wammer commented, "They always play hard and demonstrate great sportsmanship."

The Jills game against Bethany Lutheran scheduled for Saturday has been postponed.

Box Score Game 1

Box Score Game 2