Amber O'Connell hit a three run walk-off three homer as the UW- River Falls Falcons softball team won two crucual WIAC games over UW-Stout in coach Faye Perkins final games at Ramer Field.
The two wins were also the first two wins the Falcons have picked up at home this season. UWRF is now standing at 18-18 overall and 5-9 in the WIAC, putting them in fifth place in the WIAC. That moves the team into contention to make the WIAC tournament. Next the Falcons will play a doubleheader with Hamline University on Thursday with the first game starting at 4 p.m.
Game 1: UWRF 2, STOUT 1
Pitching was on display between Brooke Lauritzen of UWRF and Tori Workman of Stout. Lauritzen went the distance and got the win for the Falcons. She allowed just three hits and one earned run, dropping her ERA to 3.28. Lauritzen also walked just one batter.
Scoring was at a minimum, the Falcons struck first with a sacrifice bunt by Kaitlyn LePine that got Katie Thompson to advance to second. Michelle LaCasse then reached on a throwing error and Thompson scored the unearned run.
The Falcons added an insurance run in the bottom of the fifth inning with Lepine singling through the right side of the field scoring Aiyana Ledwein giving the Falcons a 2-0 lead. Up until this point, Lauritzen had allowed just one hit, and only allowed two base runners.
Stout answered with a leadoff double in the top of the sixth inning by Nicole Rogers followed by Karley Wiensch singling up the middle scoring Rogers making the score 2-1 going into the final inning.
The Falcons did not manage any runs in the bottom of the sixth and Lauritzen went to work to finish the complete game by allowing no hits in the final half inning of play putting her season record at 8-7.
Game 2: UWRF 12, STOUT 9
A back and forth game that saw 20 hits and 21 runs started out with Stout scoring three runs in the top of the first inning off of two walks and a homerun by Taylor Workman.
The Falcons responded with a booming bottom of the first inning that produced six runs off of five hits. Ledwein scored on a wild pitch to start the scoring for the Falcons. The inning was highlighted by Lauritzen's homerun to center field that brought in two runs. O'Connell also notched an RBI single to left field which brought the score to 6-3.
Stout found life in the top of the second with four runs off of three hits. Rogers singled and brought home two runners. Heather Bol later singled to right center and collected two RBI, bringing the score to 7-6.
The Falcons continued to battle from behind and tied the game in the bottom of the second inning with a crushing home run to right center field by LePine that tied the game at seven.
Stout took the lead once more in a game that saw five lead changes when the Blue Devils scored two runs in the top of the fourth inning with Tol doubling to left field bringing Stout to a 9-7 lead.
UWRF answered in the form of Ledwein who singled to left field and drove home O'Connell and Sorensen. The score once again was tied by the score of 9-9.
The Falcons and Blue Devils exchanged three frames of the game with no runs scored before the senior, O'Connell, smashed a final blow by the form of a walk off three run home run to left center field that saw Sorensen score, as well as Lauritzen.
LaCasse was the winning pitcher for the Falcons moving her to 2-2 on the season. Tori Workman took the loss for UW- Stout.
