Women's Softball - vs. UW-River Falls

Women's Softball

04/17/06

Falcons, Saints split doubleheader at River Falls

UW-River Falls ended the Saints 10-game win streak by stealing a 2-1 victory in game one of a doubleheader in River Falls, Wisconsin on Monday afternoon. The Saints bounced back to take the nightcap by a 13-4 score, though, to push their season record into 20-win territory.

Laura Heise pitched a one-hitter for the Saints in game one but fell victim to a pair of unearned runs and cold bats.
St. Scholastica grabbed the lead in the top of the first after sloppy play by River Falls allowed lead off batter Kristi Erickson to move to third base via a wild pitch and passed ball after she reached base on a walk to start the game. Heise's single to center scored Erickson to put the Saints up 1-0, normally a safe lead with Heise (0.49 ERA) on the mound.
In the bottom of the fourth River Falls matched the Saints opening inning by putting their lead off batter on with a walk, followed by an error at second that put runners at first and second.
Heise picked up a strikeout for the first out of the inning but a throwing error on a pick off allowed each runner to move up a base.
River Falls then worked a squeeze play that scored the tying run from third and the go-ahead run all the way from second base.
Heise didn't allow a baserunner in the final two innings but the Saints -- who had only four hits in the first four innings -- mustered only one hit after River Falls stole the lead and never amounted a threat, ending their win streak at 10.

Game two was a much different story, especially for the Saints bats which heated up quickly as Kristi Erickson led the top of the first off for the Saints with a homerun to center field. It was her third homer of the season, and the second time she has led off the game with a fence-clearing shot.
The Saints put two more across in the first, scored another in the third, then sent 13 batters to the plate in a nine-run fourth to build a 13-1 lead.
Laura Heise (14-4) pitched the first three innings of the game and picked up the win. Rilee Dawson and Amy Jansen came on in relief to close out the game, each pitching an inning for the Saints.
Kristi Erickson and Erica Bond both had 3-for-4 days at the plate, Erickson picking up three RBI and scoring twice while Bond scored three times and had one RBI. Dawson collected three RBI on a double in the Saints' big fourth inning that cleared the bases.

The No. 16 Saints (20-6) will stay on the road and move on to play the 8th-ranked Blugolds of UW-Eau Claire in a doubleheader in Wisconsin Tuesday afternoon.