University of St. Thomas Athletics
UW-River Falls
Softball outlasts stubborn River Falls in sweep
3/5/2009 12:00:00 AM | Softball
Senior catcher Steph Moores hit a tie-breaking three-run homer in the sixth inning of game two and drove in eight runs on the day to lead No. 5-ranked St. Thomas (2-0) to a 10-6, 4-1 sweep of UW-River Falls (2-2) in Thursday's non-conference twinbill in the Rosemount Dome.
The season-opening action for the Tommies featured a 2:25 game in the opener -- a possible school record for longest seven-inning game. That game was slowed by 19 walks -- 13 by Falcon pitchers -- and 22 runners left on base. The Tommies left 12 on base, including 10 in scoring position, and the Falcons twice left the bases loaded.
PHOTO: Steph Moores
Junior All-American Alison Wright had a solo home run in each game and finished the day 4-for-5 with a walk, three RBI and five runs scored.
UST freshman pitcher Angela Phillips of Rosemount got the last two outs on a double play for a save in game one, and later won game two with a complete-game five-hitter. Phillips walked one and struck out one.
The Falcons tied the score 1-1 in the top of the sixth on a one-out RBI double, but the go-ahead runner trying to score from first base was tagged out at home on a relay throw from shortstop Morgan Betker to Moores at home plate.
The Tommies answered in the bottom of the sixth inning on a leadoff walk to Missy Bruggeman, Wright's slap single, and Moores' bases-clearing shot over the fence in left field.
The Falcons, a 29-13 finisher in 2008, took a 3-2 lead in the opener on Mindy Rud
iger's two-run homer in the bottom of the second inning. But in the third inning, the Toms took a 4-3 lead with two bases-loaded walks, then Moores' bases-load double puched the lead to 7-3. Wright's solo HR in the fifth made it 8-5. UWRF pulled within 8-6 but Betker's two-run double in the top of the seventh pushed the lead back to four runs.
Moores finished the day 4-for-7 with a walk and eight RBI. Betker went 3-for-8. Kaity Wightman walked four times and scored twice in the first game.
In game one, Marta Radcliffe pitched 6 1-3 innings and allowed five earned runs and five walks with eight strikeouts for the pitching victory.
The Tommies play again in Rosemount March 13 against Buena Vista and March 14 vs. UW-LaCrosse.
Click here for box scores:
Game 1:
http://www.tommiesports.com/sftbl/stats/3-5-dh1.htm
Game 2:
