GREEN BAY, Wis. - The Green Bay (21-18, 6-11) softball team split its double-header as they began an eight-game home stand against North Dakota (13-31) in a non-conference match up Tuesday afternoon.
In game one the Phoenix banged in three runs in the bottom of the second and added four in the bottom of the fourth as Green Bay scored nine runs off nine hits and committed one error.
With one out in the bottom of the first and Dani Peerenboom (Kimberly, Wis.) at the plate, Sara Junion (Sevastopol, Wis.) scored on a throwing error to give Green Bay the early 1-0 lead.
The bases were loaded with nobody out in the bottom of the second when Jenna Nitti (Green Bay, Wis.) hit a line drive to left field scoring Krissy Hanson (Appleton, Wis.). Junion followed up with an RBI single to third base scoring Ashleigh Racer (Waterford, Wis.) to boost Green Bay's lead 3-0. Peerenboom added a sac fly to center field scoring Kendra Woepse (Manitowoc, Wis.) making it 4-0 to close out the inning.
North Dakota's lone run came in the top of the third off a solo homerun to left field with one out.
Green Bay answered in the bottom of the frame when Alli Rivera (Geneseo, Ill.) hit her sixth home run of the season over the center field fence to make it 5-1.
The Phoenix kept the bats rolling in the bottom of the fourth when Peerenboom hit an RBI single to center field scoring Junion. Katie Cooney (East Moline, Ill.) followed up with a three-run homer to left field scoring Peerenboom and Niederer to seal the 9-1 victory in five innings of play.
Cooney pitched all five innings for the Phoenix facing 17 batters and striking out two. Junion went 2-2 from the plate scoring two runs and one RBI while Nitti was also 2-2 and had two RBIs.
The tables were turned in the second game as North Dakota scored six runs in the fifth inning en route to an 8-1 victory over the Phoenix. The Fighting Sioux hit three RBI doubles in the inning before adding one more in the seventh.
Green Bay's lone run came in the bottom of the fifth with one out when Junion hit a sac fly to center field scoring Ashley Billerbeck (Sevastopol, Wis.) to make it 7-1. Billerbeck started off the inning for the Phoenix with her first triple of the season.
Four pitchers stepped on the mound for Green Bay as Tieraney Planasch (Juneau, Wis.) took the loss falling to 2-4 on the season. The Phoenix finished the game with one run off seven hits and two errors.
Green Bay will play its final six regular season home games in a span of four days starting Wednesday, May 5 with a double-header against Butler at 2 p.m.
---www.GreenBayPhoenix.com---
