CLERMONT, Fla. – Jennies softball ran their winning streak to eight straight with wins over Northwood (Mich.) and Southwest Minnesota State. The eight straight wins is the most since the 2011 season, when the Jennies won 11 in a row as they improve their record to 12-5.

Game One: UCM 4, Northwood 3 (PDF Box Score)

The Jennies fell behind early as the Timberwolves plated a pair of runs in the second inning. Northwood took advantage of some UCM miscues, as the Jens had a passed ball, wild pitch and committed two errors in the frame.

The Timberwolves kept the Jennies off the scoreboard until the third inning when UCM capitalized on a Northwood error in a big way. With two outs, Lindsey Dawson stepped to the plate with a runner on thanks to an error. She smacked a double to left field to cut the Timberwolves lead in half, 2-1. The very next batter, Jakki Prater crushed her second home run of the season to give the Jennies their first lead, 3-2.

UCM cashed in another run in the fourth when a two-out error allowed Amanda Nally to score, putting the Jens up 4-2.

Northwood crept closer in the sixth, scoring a run off of a misplayed stolen base attempt, bringing the score to 4-3.

That's as close as they came as Jessica Wilkes pitched a perfect seventh for her third win of the season. She improves to 3-0 after tossing her second complete game. She allowed three runs (one earned), on four hits while striking out a career-high seven.

At the plate Prater had two of the Jennies four hits. She drove in a pair with her second home run of the season and scored a run. Dawson finished 1-for-3 with and RBI and run scored. She now has a reached-base streak of 17 games, dating back to the end of last season.

Game Two: UCM 3, Southwest Minnesota State 2 (PDF Box Score)

UCM put up a three-spot in the top of the first to open the scoring. After Dawson put the Jens up one with an RBI groundout, Lauren Mabe connected for an RBI double, scoring Prater and Madison Hood drove in Mabe with a single to left.

The Jennies had a chance to tack on more in the top half of the fourth and fifth innings. UCM loaded the bases with one out in the fourth, but the Mustangs escaped trouble with a strike out and line out. They again had runners on second and third with one out but failed to score as the Mustangs kept it a 3-0 game.

In the bottom of the fourth, SMSU had their best scoring chance yet as the first two batters reached base against Shockley. But she buckled down and coaxed three straight pop outs on the infield to end the inning and the scoring threat.

After a 1-2-3 fifth inning, the Mustangs tried to muster a two-out rally in the sixth. Back-to-back singles and a passed ball put two in scoring position. Shockley was again up to the task, getting a ground ball to squash the rally.

The game remained 3-0 all the way until the seventh. The Mustang's spoiled Shockley's shut-out bid though as Alysse Luttmann connected on a two-out two-run homerun to bring SMSU within one. Shockley retired the next batter on a line out, to end the game and pick up her fourth win of the season.

Shockley's win pushes her record over .500 to 4-3 for the season. She threw her sixth complete game allowing two runs on seven hits. She stuck out three and walked only one.

Prater, Mabe and Hood all finished with two hits. Mabe added a run and an RBI.

For the Mustangs, Alysse Luttmann drove in the only two runs with her 7th inning home run. Alex O'Conner went the distance in the circle allowing three runs on 10 hits and struck out five.

Jennies are in action next Sunday, March 15 for a doubleheader with Sioux Falls beginning at 9 a.m.

(Courtesy of UCM Athletics)

Katie Shockley
Courtesy of UCM Athletics
loading...

More From AM 1050 KSIS