Green Knights Close Out Season With Sweep of Beloit

From Sports Information Director, April 25, 2015 | Softball
by Dan Lukes, dan.lukes@snc.edu, (920) 403-4077

DE PERE - St. Norbert College finished its 2015 season with a Midwest Conference doubleheader sweep of Beloit College by scores of 8-3 and 4-2 at Miron Construction Field at Mel Nicks Sports Complex.

The Green Knights (13-21, 8-6 MWC) saw their season end after Lawrence University and Carroll University clinched the North Division's two berths into the MWC Tournament. St. Norbert's doubleheader scheduled for Monday against Carthage College was canceled after the Lady Reds needed the date to complete their College Conference of Illinois and Wisconsin schedule.

Beloit (15-21, 7-7 MWC) opened Game 1 by loading the bases with no outs, but the Buccaneers scored just one run. The Green Knights answered in the bottom of the first inning with a booming two-run home run by Codi Jenshak. The Buccaneers scored a run in the second inning to tie the game 2-2, but left the bases loaded.

The game remained tied until St. Norbert scored five runs on six hits after two outs and nobody on in the bottom of the fifth inning. Leigh Grall got the uprising started with a double. Samantha Gross brought Grall in for a 3-2 lead. Tayler Long's single set up Jenshak's two-run single for a 5-2 edge. Jessica DeMeuse and MacKenzie Hazen cracked back-to-back triples to cap off the rally. Beloit would score a run in the top of the sixth, but Grall got the run back with an RBI double in the bottom of the sixth.

St. Norbert had 11 hits in the opener. Long was 3-for-4 with two runs scored, while Jenshak was 2-for-4 with two runs scored and four RBIs. Grall was 2-for-3. Morgan Rusch earned the complete-game win, allowing 10 hits with one walk and five strikeouts.

The Green Knights got off to a fast start in the nightcap, scoring three times on two hits with one Beloit error in the bottom of the first inning. Jenshak hit a sacrifice fly, and Hazen drilled a two-run home run. Beloit cut the deficit to 3-2 with a pair of runs in the third inning, but the Green Knights picked up an insurance run when Grall's groundball plated Gina Mastrodomenico. Beloit would load the bases in the sixth inning, but did not score.

Hazen was 3-for-3 with two RBIs, while Gross was 2-for-3. Rusch also earned the complete-game win in the nightcap, scattering 10 hits with one walk and five strikeouts.