GREEN
BAY, Wis. (GreenBayPhoenix.com) - The Green Bay (20-20, 7-12 HL) softball
team hosted Valparaiso (29-18-1, 12-7 HL) in its final home series of the
season Saturday at Ben Garot Field. The Phoenix opened with 2-1 win in the
first game of a doubleheader before being shut out 12-0 in the second game.
Game
1 - Valpo 1, Green Bay 2 - After a great defensive battle throughout the first three
and a half innings of play, Green Bay scored two runs in the bottom of the
fourth inning to give the Phoenix the 2-0 lead. Shannon Butts (Greenfield,
Wis.) hit an RBI double to left field scoring Danielle Peerenboom (Appleton,
Wis.) and Jessica Hrncar (Bristol, Wis.), who was pinch running for Katie
Cooney (East Moline, Ill.). Cooney's single to right field tied her on top of the
individual career record list with 167 hits.
With two outs in the fifth, Sara Junion
(Egg Harbor, Wis.) hit her first triple of the season with a long shot to the
center field fence before being stranded on base to end the inning with the 2-0
Phoenix advantage.
The Crusaders scored its only run of
the contest with two outs in the top of the sixth with an RBI single to left
field.
In addition to her career-tying hit in
the fourth, Cooney pitched her 15th complete game of the season while striking
out seven batters.
Game
2 - Valpo 12, Green Bay 0 (5 INN) - The Crusaders scored first in the
second inning with four runs on four hits and one error. Valpo's first run came
off a home run over the left field fence. After a single up the middle, Green
Bay picked off the runner trying to steal second before Valpo hit another home
run to left field making the score 2-0. With two outs, the Crusaders scored two
runs on a dropped fly ball to center field to boost its lead to 4-0 before the
end of two innings of play.
With two outs in the top of the third,
Valpo hit its third home run of the contest, this time over the right field
fence to increase its lead to 6-0.
Green Bay's lone hit of the contest
came in the bottom of the third with a leadoff single to left field by Hrncar.
The Phoenix defense stranded three
runners in the top of the fourth to hold the Crusaders scoreless before they
added six runs off five hits and one error in the fifth including a three-run
homer to left field, sealing the 12-0 victory.
The
rubbermatch between Green Bay and Valpo will be played Sunday at 10 a.m. at
Ben Garot Field. Before the contest the Phoenix will honor seniors
Katie Cooney
(East Moline, Ill.),
Sara Junion (Egg Harbor, Wis.) and
Kendra Woepse
(Manitowoc, Wis.).
