The wind and cold caused a delay but couldn't stop the Beloit College and Lawrence University softball teams from playing Sunday. After over an hour delay waiting for the 'feel like' temperature to reach 32 degrees, the Buccaneers fell to the Vikings 5-4 and 21-3 in a shortened, five-inning nightcap.
The Vikings got on the board right off the bat. A walk, double and groundout led to the first run of the game as LU went into the bottom half of the inning with a 1-0 lead. The Bucs went three up, three down in the bottom of the inning and Lawrence added two runs in the second to widen the gap to 3-0. That score held until the bottom of the fourth.
Ashley Lambert led off the bottom half of the frame with a double to right center. With one out, Alyssa Boltik singled and advanced on the throw to put two runners in scoring position. Makayla Zundel put the ball in play and a Viking miscue allowed two runs to score to narrow the gap to one, 3-2, after the fourth.
After a scoreless fifth, the Bucs got back on the bats. Zundel singled through the left side with one out. Kat Grzeszkiewicz followed with another single, this one up the middle and Steph Lopez made it back-to-back-to-back singles with a shot through the left side to load the bases. A fielder's choice had the lead runner out at home but Beloit would not be thwarted in the inning. Emily Stapay tagged a single to plate to runs and tie the game 4-4.
A couple of walks in the top of the seventh marred a great game pitched by Boltik in the circle as one led to the go-ahead run.
Stapay led the Bucs in the batter's box going 3-for-4 with two runs batted in. Lambert and Boltik each tallied two hits in the game as Beloit outhit the Vikings 12-7 in the contest.
Boltik struck out seven in the complete game loss in the circle.
The Vikings exploded for 16 runs in the top of the third leading to the 21-3 final in the nightcap.
Up Next: The Bucs take a break from Midwest Conference play with a doubleheader at UW-Platteville Tuesday, April 2. First pitch is scheduled for 3 p.m.
