MELBOURNE, FL - Nebraska Wesleyan softball was tested in contrasting fashion Friday at the Space Coast Spring Games in Melbourne, Fla., falling to UW-Eau Claire 6-4 in a 9 a.m. opener before dropping a 10-9 gut-punch to Hartford in the afternoon, pushing the Prairie Wolves to 7-7 on the season.
HOW IT HAPPENED
Game 1 - Wisconsin-Eau Claire 6, Nebraska Wesleyan 4
Eva Fahrnbruch and Lauren Trottier traded zeros for much of a tight opener, but a four-run fifth inning proved to be the difference as the Blugolds pulled away for a 6-4 win.
Nebraska Wesleyan struck first. With runners on in the top of the first, Fahrnbruch lined an RBI single to right field to score Addyson Maxwell and give the Prairie Wolves a 1-0 lead. Eau Claire answered immediately knotting things at one. The Blugolds took the lead for good in the second when Hagedorn went deep, a solo shot, to make it 2-1.
NWU pulled even in the fourth. Jenna Kimberling singled down the third base line to lead off the inning, and Paige Comstock followed with a single that advanced to second on a Paige Lathrop error in left field, sending Kimberling to third. Fahrnbruch then lofted a sacrifice fly to right field, scoring Kimberling and tying the game at 2-2.
The Blugolds broke it open in the fifth. Chloe Ricard doubled down the right field line for two runs, Hagedorn followed with an RBI double to right-center and Marlee Smith added a run-scoring single to left-center, pushing the margin to 6-2.
The Prairie Wolves made it interesting in the fifth. With Macy Santoni on third and Catie Ingalls on second with two outs, Kimberling delivered a two-run single down the third base line to make it 6-4. But Trottier retired the next batter to strand Kimberling at second and close out a complete-game victory, allowing five hits across seven innings with two strikeouts and one walk.
Fahrnbruch absorbed the loss, allowing six earned runs on 11 hits in five innings, with two strikeouts. Hannah Allen tossed a scoreless sixth in relief. Kimberling went 2-for-3 with two RBI to lead NWU at the plate.
Game 2 - Hartford 10, Nebraska Wesleyan 9
If the morning was a pitchers' duel, the afternoon was a slugfest, and Nebraska Wesleyan came one run short of pulling off a comeback.
The Prairie Wolves came out swinging. Catie Ingalls opened the bottom of the first with a walk, and Addyson Maxwell reached when a Hartford second baseman mishandled a sacrifice bunt, sending Ingalls all the way to third. Jenna Kimberling then doubled down the left field line to score both runners. Eva Fahrnbruch reached first on an error that scored Kimberling. Nebraska Wesleyan led 3-0 after one inning on just one hit.
The offense kept rolling in the second. A Macy Santoni double, a Kenzie Heedum single and a Catie Ingalls bunt single and a stolen base by Ingalls, followed by a passed ball on the throw, pushed the lead to 6-2 heading into the third.
Hartford slowly chipped away. Starter Hannah Allen allowed two runs in the second but stranded the bulk of the damage, working three innings before giving way to Kobli Davis. The Hawks seized the lead in the fourth when Alyssa Edwards launched a grand slam to center field off Davis to make it 7-6, capping a five-run frame. Hartford tacked on three more in the fifth on a Taylor Fitch two-run double down the right field line, extending the lead to 10-6.
Nebraska Wesleyan rallied in the seventh. Three consecutive walks from Hartford reliever Carly Mayhood, and a hit by pitch to Kimberling that scored Kenzie Heedum, loaded the bases before the Hawks turned back to Gracie Hopkins. Paige Comstock's groundout turned into a double play, but Ingalls crossed the plate to make it 10-8. Fahrnbruch then reached on a shortstop error that allowed Maxwell to score, cutting the deficit to one. With the tying run on first, however, Stella Campin struck out looking to end the game.
Kimberling was 1-for-3 with three RBI and a hit by pitch. Ingalls reached base in all four plate appearances, scored three times and drove in one.
UP NEXT
Nebraska Wesleyan continues action at the Space Coast Spring Games on Saturday for their final day of action. The day starts at 9:00 AM against Western Connectiut State.
