The Beloit College softball team split a twinbill with Knox College falling in an offensive frenzy 14-13 in the opener and taking the nightcap 9-1 in a shortened five inning affair. Senior battery Ashley Lambert and Alyssa Boltik, as well as, senior student assistant coach Monica Smith were honored in between games.
The Buccaneers and Prairie Fire combined for 39 hits and 27 runs in the first game as Beloit scored in four of the seven innings. Knox used a seven-run second and five-run third combined with thwarting the Bucs in the bottom of the seventh for the win.
Callie Dutton, Stephannie Lopez and Dani Strejc each tallied three hits in the game and combined for four runs scored and five runs batted in to lead Beloit offensively. Â Lambert belted a three-run round-tripper in route to a four RBI outing.
Maddy Pfortmiller suffered the loss on the mound in her longest outing since returning from injury.
The Bucs kept the bats rolling in game two scoring in four of five innings after accumulating 13 hits in the nightcap.
After the Prairie Fire scored in the top of the first Lambert tagged a no doubter that easily cleared the fence in left center to give the Bucs a 2-1 lead. Strejc and Dutton each brought in a run in the second to make it 4-1. In the third, Emily Stapay, Kaitlynn Taft and Maty Nowakowski all got in on the RBI action to make it 7-1.
Needing two runs to end the game early in the bottom of the fifth, Beloit's offense would not be thwarted. Mackenzie Shawback came up for a huge double to left center to score Boltk and Alyssa Morris' shot to third bounced off the fielder and allowed the game-ending run to touch home.
Madi Christine was a perfect 3-3 at the plate with two runs scored. Ten other Bucs registered hits in the game as Beloit spread the offense around.
Boltik picked up the complete game win allowing just three hits in five innings of work.
Beloit's scheduled doubleheader against Illinois College Sunday has been postponed due to forecasted inclement weather. The Bucs will head north to Ripon for a twinbill on the road beginning at 1 p.m. Saturday, April 20.
