Saints outslug Yellowjackets

DULUTH -- The College of St. Scholastica Saints won a slugfest with the University of Wisconsin-Superior softball team 14-7 Thursday afternoon at Kenwood Field in Duluth.

The game was originally scheduled to be played in Superior on Wednesday, but rain and an unplayable field forced the game to be moved to the Saints’ home field.

Both teams came ready to hit early as a majority of the 21 runs and 26 hits the teams combined for were in the first three innings.

The Saints scored nine of the runs in the second inning as they opened up an 11-4 lead.

UWS came back with a three-run third inning, but CSS answered with a run in the bottom of the third and two more in the fifth.

The Saints had 14 hits, including three apiece from Merryssa Tiedeman and Theresa Tauer. Winning pitcher Darcy Roach also had two hits, including a grand slam home run in the second inning.

Bonnie Kowalczyk only had one hit on the day for CSS, but it was the biggest as her first-inning home run sailed over the scoreboard in right-center field.

Superior finished with 12 hits, led by Kayla Blom, who was 3-for-4 with two RBIs.

Taylor VanDamme also doubled and singled in two runs, Lindsey Garay doubled and singled and Ashlee Olson singled twice.

After Kowalczyk’s home run, UWS took a 4-2 lead in the second inning on Blom’s RBI triple and RBI singles by Kayla Anderson and VanDamme.

After the Saints’ nine-run second inning, which included a three-run triple by Tiedeman, UWS scored three runs in the third inning thanks to run-scoring singles by Garay and Blom and a run-scoring double play.

Garay took the loss for UWS, allowing 14 hits with one walk and seven strikeouts. She settled down after the second inning, allowing just six hits over the final four innings and striking out the side in the fourth.

Garay was starting in place of regular pitcher Amanda LeBard, who pitched 17 innings during a doubleheader at Stout on Tuesday.

Roach was the complete-game winner for the Saints, allowing 12 hits with three walks and seven strikeouts.

UWS (8-14, 2-5 WIAC) is scheduled to host UW-Stevens Point Saturday and UW-Eau Claire Sunday. Both doubleheaders begin at noon.

’JACKET JOTTINGS: With their seventh straight win, the Saints improve to 17-8 overall (8-1 MIAC). … The Saints have outscored their opponents 53-9 in the second inning … Offensively, Kowalcyzk leads the Saints with a .468 batting average to go along with team highs in doubles (12), home runs (4), slugging percentage (.839), and runs batted in (33). Tauer has the most hits with 34 and has the second best batting average at .403 … Roach 11 complete games and leads all pitchers with 81 strikeouts … Chelsey Jarzin leads the ’Jackets with a .442 batting average. … VanDamme has team highs with the most runs scored (16), total bases (44), hits (28), and slugging percentage (.594). … LeBard leads the UWS pitching staff with a 3.52 earned run average and holds opponents to a .295 batting average.

UW-Superior 043 000 0 -- 7 12 4

St. Scholastica 291 020 X -- 14 14 4

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