The Lawrence University softball team closed out their season last weekend with games against UW-Whitewater on Thursday and against Elmhurst College on Saturday.
Both of these teams would prove to be quality opponents, both of them gearing up to play in the postseason. As Lawrence had already been eliminated from postseason play, they were playing for pride.
On Thursday, the team traveled to Whitewater for a doubleheader. Whitewater sent out their star pitcher in the opening game, and she did not disappoint. Whitewater’s Jessica Stang pitched a no-hitter with only one walked batter.
Lawrence’s defense was unable to produce the same kind of quality and the Warhawks took full advantage, putting the game away with a 10-run fourth inning. The final score was 13-0 in favor of UW-Whitewater.
In the nightcap, the Vikings put up a fight. Though the Warhawks jumped out to an early lead, the Vikings’ bats came alive in the fifth inning, when they scored six runs to take a 6-3 lead.
When Whitewater came up to bat again, they quickly tied it up and took the tie into the final inning.
After shutting out the Vikings in the top of the sixth inning, the Warhawks snatched their lead back with a two-run homer.
Whitewater then sent in their star from the first game, Stang, and she successfully recorded the save, dooming the Vikings to a disappointing 8-6 loss.
On Saturday, the Vikings honored their seniors during their home-doubleheader with Elmhurst.
In the opener, the first five innings were a defensive struggle between the Vikings’ sophomore pitcher Emily Perish and Elmhurst’s Stephanie Iori.
Each pitcher brought shutouts into the fifth inning, but only Iori would emerge the inning with her shutout-bid still alive.
The Elmhurst hitters found their stride, while the Lawrence hitters never did, and the final score was a 9-0 loss for the Vikings.
The second game was much more exciting, and was a fitting end to a good season for the Vikings.
The lead went back and forth between the teams, with the Vikings taking a 4-2 lead early, and the Bluejays took a 5-4 lead in the top of the sixth inning.
In the seventh inning, though, when it mattered, the score was knotted at 5-5 and the game went into extra innings.
After a scoreless eighth inning, Perish came in to relieve freshman Shannon Murray and she quickly dispatched the first three batters to bring the Vikings up to bat.
In the bottom of the ninth, sophomore Katie Simonsen was walked, and after an out, she scored on a pitching error by Elmhurst. This ended the game and Lawrence’s season with a 6-5 victory.
After an exceptional start to the season in Florida, the team suffered injuries to key players, forcing some inexperienced players to step into important positions. The team coped well and finished with a good 16-16 record.
Congratulations to seniors Lara Wasserman, Meredith Foshag and Alex Goodson on four great years of competition.
Softball finishes season with a win
