Green Knights Rally for Split With Carroll

From Sports Information Director, April 26, 2013 | Softball
by Dan Lukes, dan.lukes@snc.edu, (920) 403-4077

WATERTOWN - St. Norbert College salvaged a split to keep its Midwest Conference North Division title hopes alive, losing 3-1 before winning 9-4 over Carroll University at Brandt-Quirk Park.

The Green Knights (17-13, 8-4 MWC) can win the MWC North and host the MWC Tournament May 3-4 with a sweep of Beloit College Saturday in De Pere. Carroll (12-20, 8-4 MWC) needs to sweep Lawrence University Saturday and hope St. Norbert loses one of its two games to earn hosting duties.

St. Norbert led 1-0 in the opener when JoAnna Ruppa's fielder's choice plated MacKenzie Hazen in the second inning. Carroll answered with one run in the third and two runs in the fourth, and the Pioneers' Taylor Steinhilber did not allow a run in the rest of the way.

Morgan Rusch took the loss for St. Norbert, allowing nine hits, one earned run and one walk with no strikeouts. Jena Paul, Jessica DeMeuse and Morgan Buboltz all had two hits apiece.

St. Norbert built a big lead in the nightcap, leading 6-0 in the fifth inning. The Green Knights scored in the third inning on DeMeuse's RBI single to score Steph Brunette. Ruppa had an RBI single in the fourth inning, along with a Samantha Gross fielder's choice and an RBI single by DeMeuse. Hazen and Ruppa drove in runs in the fourth inning, and DeMeuse and Alex Kohnle drove in runs in the sixth as St. Norbert pounded out 12 hits in the game.

Brunette was 4-for-5 with three runs scored, while DeMeuse was 3-for-4 with three RBIs. Shannen Schmidt earned the win, allowing nine hits in five innings with no walks and five strikeouts.