ASHLAND, Wis.-- The Northland College Softball continued UMAC conference play this afternoon vs. the 2nd place Bethany Lutheran Vikings in a doubleheader. The Jills, who are battling for a playoff spot, picked up the important split, winning in walk-off fashion in game one 4-3 (8 innings) and dropped game two, 10-1
Game 1
After giving up a solo home run in the top of the first inning, pitcher
Sofia Garcia would soon find her groove pitching 2 scoreless innings.
Jenna Reyes tied the game at 1 in the bottom of the third inning with an rbi double scoring
Kaylee Harnack. After Bethany added runs in the 4th and 5th innings, the Jills once again responded as
Jenna Reyes hit a rbi sac fly, scoring
Natalie Erler to make it 3-2. With the game on the line in the bottom of the 7th inning it was once again Reyes leading the way at the plate with a clutch rbi single to score Harnack to force extra innings. The Jills wasted little time with the bases loaded in the bottom of the 8th inning with the bases loaded as
Sofia Garcia forced the bases loaded walk, scoring
Saylor Donnelly to win game one, 4-3.
Garcia finished her day on the mound pitching 8.0 innings, giving up 3 runs on 4 hits, while striking out 8 batters.
Kaylee Harnack led all LumberJills at the plate in game one going 3X4 with 2 runs scored.
Game 2
In game two,
Kayla Preisler would get the start on the mound for the Jills.
Saylor Donnelly would give the Jills the early lead in the bottom of the first inning with a sac fly, scoring
Jenna Reyes to make it 1-0. Both teams would hunker into a defensive battle throughout the middle part of the innings before Bethany exploded for 8 runs in the 6th and 2 runs in the 7th to take the lead and win 10-1 over the Jills.
Kaylee Harnack and
Jenna Reyes led all LumberJills in game two at the plate, collecting two hits.
The split today moved the Jills into 4th place in the UMAC standings and now control their own destiny in search of a UMAC playoff birth.
The Jills host Northwestern MN next Friday (May 7th). Game one is set to start at 3:30pm.
Northland College is an NCAA Division III institution located in Ashland, WI. The LumberJacks and LumberJills sponsor 14 varsity sports and compete in the Upper Midwest Athletic Conference, Midwest Lacrosse Conference and the Wisconsin Intercollegiate Athletic Conference.