University of St. Thomas Athletics
12-3
UW-La Crosse
16-5
Softball sweeps No. 22-ranked Eagles
3/30/2017 12:00:00 AM | Softball
Junior Sammy Hogan pitched eight shutout innings for a win and a save and the No. 25-ranked Tommies used home runs from Chase Shortly and Brenna Walek to help sweep No. 22-ranked UW-La Crosse, 3-0 and 4-3, in Thursday's non-conference softball play at UST's South Field.
St. Thomas (13-3), which has won nine of its last 10 games, improved to 13-0 this season in games when it allows three or less runs.
Jenna Bromen went 4-for-5 on the day and drove in two runs in game one to put the Toms ahead 2-0.
In game one, Hogan retired 16 of the first 17 batters she faced. Hogan allowed no runs and no walks and four hits in the shutout victory, with two strikeouts.
In game two, Elise Barnes had an RBI single and Shortly homered to give UST a 2-0 lead. Walek hit her 34th career homer -- and first of 2017 -- with one aboard to make it 4-0.
UST starter Jessica Eppenberger shut down La Crosse for the first five innings. But the Eagles pulled within 4-3 on freshman Stephanie Cole's three-run homer in the top of the sixth.
Hogan came on to pitch the seventh looking to protect a one-run lead. She hit the first batter, and a UWL pinch runner was bunted to second on a sacrifice out. Megan Bush's diving catch in short right field likely saved a run and recorded the second out, and Hogan got an infield pop up to end the game.
The Tommies play Saturday at St. Olaf, and return home Sunday to face Augsburg in a pair of MIAC twinbills.
Team Stats
Pitching:
W: Hogan, Sammy (5-1)
L: Carignan (6-1)
Batting:
RBI: Bromen, Jenna 2
SH: Connelly, Dana 1 ; Suter, Rachel 2
Base Running:
RUNS: Wachman, Ellie 1 ; Bush, Megan 1 ; Caldarera, Keaira 1
SB: Barnes, Elise 1
CS: Heller, Jaylen 1
