Green Knights Split on Final Day in Sunshine State

From Sports Information Director, March 21, 2014 | Softball
by Dan Lukes, dan.lukes@snc.edu, (920) 403-4077

CLERMONT, Fla. - St. Norbert College split a pair of games on its final day of action in Florida, losing to Rowan University 2-0 before rallying to top Concordia University Wisconsin 6-5 in the nightcap.

The Green Knights (3-8) rallied from a 5-4 deficit to top the Falcons with a pair of unearned runs in the bottom of the sixth inning. St. Norbert was aided by a pair of infield errors in the inning, and JoAnna Ruppa's RBI single scored Tayler Long with the game-winning run.

Concordia scored two runs in the top of the first to take the early lead, but St. Norbert scored four times in the bottom of the third. Ruppa and Abby Gildernick had RBI singles to score the first two runs, and MacKenzie Hazen followed with a two-run single to give the Green Knights a 4-2 lead.

The Falcons scored three runs in the fifth inning to take a 5-4 lead before St. Norbert rallied late.

St. Norbert had just five hits, with Ruppa going 2-for-4. Long scored two runs, while Ruppa and Hazen both had two RBIs. Morgan Rusch was the winning pitcher, twirling 2 1/3 innings of hitless relief.

Against Rowan, St. Norbert was shutout out on three hits. Codi Jenshak had a double for the Green Knights. Rusch took the loss, allowing four hits with two walks and two strikeouts in six innings.