RIPON, Wis. – After a lengthy 19-day break, the Concordia Wisconsin softball team was back in action again on Wednesday, but on the gridiron of Hopp Stadium of Ripon College. The Falcons were able to shake off the rust to the tune of a 12-1, 10-0 sweep of the Red Hawks. The Wednesday sweep puts the Falcons at 7-5 in the season.
Senior Megan Bloyer (Oregon, Wis.) got the ball rolling for the Birds in the first inning when she smacked a double to right field to score junior Nora Statz (Helenville, Wis.) from first base. Junior Taylor Jacobson (Kenosha, Wis.) then sent a single to center field that allowed Bloyer to score from second base.
The Falcons broke open the game with seven runs in the second inning. After a leadoff double for sophomore Kaitlyn Way (Blaine, Minn.), sophomore Emma Shellstrom (San Diego, Calif.) sliced a double down the left-field line. Junior Rylie DuVal (Elgin, Ill.) dropped a double to center field to send in Shellstrom. Senior Jasmine Freeze (Bolingbrook, Ill.) continued the double domination drive with a shot to center field, with Rylie DuVal scoring from second base. Nora Statz and Jasmine Freeze scored on an error at second base. Kaitlyn Way returned for her second at bat of the inning and had a single that plated Taylor Jacobson. Emma Shellstrom was lethal again in her second plate appearance of the inning with a single to center field that allowed Kaitlyn Way to scurry across home plate.
Ripon scored its lone run of the day in the bottom of the second inning on a triple.
Sophomore Jenna Lischka (Manitowoc, Wis.) added to the tally in the fourth inning with a double down the right-field line to score Jasmine Freeze from second base.
Emma Shellstrom continued her rampage at Ripon with a double to center field to send home Lischka. Sophomore Jenna Shadoski (Janesville, Wis.) ended the scoring with a spicy single to shortstop that scored Way.
Not only did Emma Shellstrom ruin the day for Ripon at the plate, but in the circle, she was sensational, with only two hits and three strikeouts in the win.
Jasmine Freeze pitched the final inning and had a strikeout to dash any hope for Ripon.
The Falcons had 16 hits in game one, with Kaitlyn Way and Emma Shellstrom leading the flock with three each. Shellstrom also led the contest with three RBIs.
Megan Bloyer threw the first punch again in the first inning with a double to left field that sent Rylie DuVal home from second base after she stole the bag.
The second inning was once again unkind to the Red Hawks. Taylor Jacobson scored on a sacrifice fly from Rylie DuVal after she started the inning with a double down the left-field line. Nora Statz cleared the basepath with a single to center field that plated senior Adrianna Martinez (Chicago, Ill.) from third base and Emma Shellstrom from second base. A ground-rule double in centerfield for Jasmine Freeze gave Nora Statz an easy trot across home plate.
CUW scored five more times in the fourth inning. Jenna Lischka started with a double into the gap in right-center field to score Jasmine Freeze and freshman Shea McMullen (Adell, Wis.).
Adrianna Martinez smashed the ball to right field and showed her breakaway speed for a triple that added Taylor Jacobson and Jenna Lischka to the scoreboard.
Junior Maggie Plahmer (Slinger, Wis.) had the exclamation point of the evening with a sacrifice fly to left field to send in Martinez.
The Falcons caged the Red Hawks to only one hit. Adrianna Martinez earned the win and had three strikeouts. Jasmine Freeze had one strikeout in relief.
The Blue and White bombarded Ripon with 13 hits in game two, with Megan Bloyer leading the contest with three.
The Falcons look to open Northern Athletics Collegiate Conference (NACC) play on Saturday at Dominican.
