MILWAUKEE – The Mount Mary University softball team lost their final series of the 2016-17 season to Wisconsin Luther College (15-25) 5-3 in both games. After a record setting season, the Blue Angels finish 2016-17 at 14-21. The new mark is a full five games above the previous mark, and was done with the strongest strength of schedule in school history.
Kaitlyn Robison led the top half of the first inning off with a double for her WLC Warriors. The senior proceeded to steal second base and got into scoring position with no outs. Starting Pitcher Stephanie Norman (Fr./Noblesville, Ind.) nearly sidestepped the early blemish as she got a quick strikeout and fly out, but the back-to-back two-out hits for the Warriors gave WLC the 2-0 lead.
MMU got their first hit of the game in the third inning when senior Jess Runge (Freedom, Wis.) bounced an infield single to third base.
WLC added one more run in the top of the fifth when Taylor Bjork hit a single up the middle scoring the runner from second base.
The Blue Angels answered back in the bottom of the fifth inning when Madison Ledda (So./Tracy, Calif.) hit a shot to center field scoring Jess Runge and cutting the lead to 3-1. MMU stranded two runners in the inning, and mustered three hits in the frame.
Coming back in the sixth inning, the Blue Angels scattered four more hits. Among them were two RBI-singles, each off the respective bats of Lisa George (Fr./Naches, Wash.) and Adrianna Nester (Fr./Anaheim, Calif.) which tied things up 3-3.
A two-RBI double from Jessie Rago in the top of the seventh inning recaptured the lead for the Warriors. The Blue Angels then loaded the bases with two outs in the bottom of the seventh, but could not bring the tying run home.
The Blue Angels finished game one with ten team hits and left ten runners on base. Adrianna Nester led the charge offensively in the opening game going 2-of-3 at the plate with an RBI and a run scored.
In the second contest Adrianna Nester got the start in the circle. Nester did not give up a hit in the first three innings of play. In fact the rookie hurler retired nine of the first ten batters she faced.
WLC's Robison broke the hitless streak for her team with a lead-off single in the fourth inning, which also tied the WLC Softball's career hits record (158). A subsequent sacrifice bunt and two consecutive base hits scored two runners and gave the Warriors the 2-0 lead.
Following a pitching change to Stephanie Norman, the Warriors added three more runs in the top of the fifth inning, all of which were unearned. WLC scattered their three hits, but an error with one out from the Blue Angels instigated the big inning from the opposition.
A pinch-hit single from Audrey Beck (Fr./Costa Mesa, Calif.) in the bottom of the fifth inning would result in the Blue Angels first score of the second game.
MMU trailed 5-1 going into the seventh inning. Rookie Blue Angel Haley Jacquez (Fr./Oakley, Calif.) tried to spark the comeback with a one-out single to left field. A towering RBI-double from Megan Shelley (Fr./Centralia, Wash.) cut the deficit down again and set up the Blue Angels with a runner in scoring position.
A single in Jess Runge's final collegiate at-bat moved Shelley to third and set up a sacrifice fly from Amelia Flint (Jr./Whitefish Bay, Wis.) which made things 5-3. MMU brought the tying run to the plate, but finished on a fly out to right field.
Katie Arce (Fr./Cypress, Calif.) led MMU with a 2-for-4 performance at the plate. Fellow rookie slugger Sidnee Turnage (Fr./Hesperia, Calif.) was equally as effective going 1-of-2 from the dish.
With that, the Blue Angels close out an historic chapter. The new bar has been raised higher than many expected. A 14-win season, all against NCAA opponents, a shocking sweep of regional powerhouse, the strongest strength of schedule in school history, wins against institutions from six different NCAA conferences, makes up a resume that will be tough to improve upon.
In his third straight season tying, or surpassing the school's win record, Mount Mary Head Softball Coach Tim Edwards looks to be a frontrunner for the Association of Division III Independents Coach of the Year. Stay tuned to mtmaryathletics.com for updates on AD3I season awards and all your Blue Angel news.
