Story Published:
Mar 10, 2010 at 8:37 PM MST
Story Updated:
Mar 10, 2010 at 8:37 PM MST
Tucson, AZ – After two straight days of washouts, the University of Great Falls softball team returned to action today going 2-1 at the 2010 Tucson Invitational, dropping their early contest 6-0 to #14 Madonna University (MI) before rebounding with an 8-2 win over Mount Marty College (SD) and a 14-4 win over Northwestern College (IA) in five innings. Today’s work allowed the Lady Argos to even their overall record at 5-5.
“I thought we played Madonna tough; it was really closer than the final score indicates,” said UGF head coach Gary Ehnes of his team’s effort against the Crusaders, who were winners in 53 of their 64 contests a year ago. “Then, I was happy to see us rebound nicely in the final two games of the day. We got some good production from a variety of players which is always nice to see.”
The Lady Argos managed to keep the game close vs. the Crusaders over the first few innings until two costly errors in the fourth allowed Madonna to extend its lead. The Lady Argos could muster just two hits in the contest off the Crusaders’ Jessica Irwin ( Monroe, MI) who went the distance, striking out nine in the process.
In the win over Mount Marty, the Lady Argos jumped out to a 4-0 lead in the first as freshman Nicole Banach (Great Falls, MT) came through with a two-RBI single, scoring Amanda Morris (Great Falls, MT) and Micaela Kurth (Boise, ID). After Sarah DeVore (Hardin, MT) scored on a Jenna Rosenberg (Othello, WA) groundout, Banach was plated when Desiree Clarke (Whitefish, MT) singled to left field and the Lady Argos were well on their way.
Banach went 2-for-2 with two RBIs and two runs scored in the game. DeVore added a 2-for-4 effort with an RBI and a run scored. Sophomore Samm Stevens (Great Falls, MT) had a pinch hit-double in the bottom the fourth to plate a run as well.
Freshman Alyse Sifuentes (Patterson, CA) picked up the win in the circle for UGF, allowing one run on four hits and two walks in four innings of work.
The UGF bats stayed hot as they jumped all over Northwestern in the team’s final game of the day, scoring two in the first, three in the second and two more in the third, before busting the game wide open with six in the fourth. For the game, the Lady Argos pumped out 15 hits in 31 at-bats before the game was halted after the fifth inning due to the eight-run mercy rule.
Morris and Rosenberg led the way with each of them going 3-for-4 at the plate. Two of Morris’ hits went for extra bases as she tripled and collected one of the team’s five doubles in the game, collecting three RBIs in the process. Anna Owen (Toledo, WA) and Stacy Gray (Spokane, WA) also had multi-hit games for Ehnes’ squad, going 4-for-6 between them.
Sophomore Casey Olson (Freeman, WA) picked up the win as she struck out five in three innings of work while allowing just one run on one hit.
