RIVER FALLS, Wis. – The UW-River Falls softball team closed out its 2023 regular season with a WIAC doubleheader split against No. 24-ranked UW-Whitewater Thursday afternoon at Perkins Stadium.
The day was headlined by
Matti Renikow's walk-off home run in game one, which snapped the Falcons' losing streak.
UWW answered with a game two victory, and UWRF ended its season with a 15-21 overall record and 3-11 WIAC ledger.
UW-River Falls 2, UW-Whitewater 1 (8 inn.)
Both teams went scoreless through the first four innings before each scored one in the fifth to eventually force extra innings, and a
Matti Renikow solo homer gave the Falcons the walk-off victory in the bottom of the eighth.
Maggie Wallin threw a gem for the Falcons, tossing an eight-inning complete game, allowing just one run off three Warhawk base hits with six strikeouts.
UWW got on the board in the top half of the fifth, which was answered in the bottom half with a
Kelly Aultman RBI double.
Keegan Piton and
Morgan Stevenson had two hits apiece.
UW-Whitewater 9, UW-River Falls 6
The Warhawks erased a two-run deficit with five runs throughout the fifth and sixth innings to salvage the series split.
Despite the strong start for the visitors which put UWRF down 4-0 after two innings, the Falcons scored six runs off four hits and two Warhawk errors to claim a 6-4 lead in the fourth inning.
Eleanor Hoge,
Emily Crowe,
Morgan Stevenson,
Lindsey Strom, and
Jewel Waupekenay all batted in runs.
The fourth was the only productive inning of offense for the Falcons though, and UWW responded with three runs in the fifth and two in the sixth.
Crowe took the loss in the pitcher's circle.
