By Rachel Buck (@GBRachel)
DAYTON, Ohio (GreenBayPhoenix.com) – The top-seeded Green Bay softball team received production from nearly its entire lineup and starter Ashley Nannemann (Burlington, Wis.) limited the Youngstown State batters to just two hits as the Phoenix opened the Horzion League Tournament with a 5-2 win over the fourth-seeded Penguins on Wednesday evening in Dayton.
Green Bay outhit Youngstown State, 12-2, and saw all but one player record a hit in the contest as it improved to 25-12 on the season. The team will now face Valparaiso on Friday at 10 a.m. CST in the next round of action. Valparaiso advanced with wins over UIC and Wright State earlier in the day.
It was a big fourth inning that broke the game open for the Phoenix, as it drove in four runs on six hits to take the lead. Senior Shannon Butts (Greenfield, Wis.) led off the inning with a single before sister Stacey popped up on a bunt attempt for the first out. However, back-to-back singles by freshman Kaitlyn Huemmer (Sun Prairie, Wis.) and junior Miranda Spangberg (Wausau, Wis.) loaded the bases for DP Abby Brinkmeier (Eagan, Minn.), who cleared the bases with a double to the gap in right center to put the Phoenix lead at 3-0.
The Phoenix again loaded the bases with singles from sophomore Kelli Hutchinson (Trevor, Wis.) and junior Hailey Mohrfeld (Menomonee Falls, Wis.) before senior Miranda Reinke (Milwaukee, Wis.) reached on an RBI fielder's choice that allowed the final run of the inning to score.
A leadoff home run by Youngstown State's Samantha Snodgrass got the Penguins on the board, 4-1, in the top of the fifth inning. The team added one more run in top of the sixth, putting two runners in scoring position for Katie Smallcomb who delivered an RBI groundout to cut the Phoenix advantage in half, 4-2.
Green Bay got one of those runs back in the home half of the sixth, putting runners on the corners with two out for sophomore Marissa Michalkiewicz (Appleton, Wis.) who singled to left and put the Phoenix lead at 5-2.
Nannemann threw her 10th complete game of the season to improve to 9-7 on the season. She held the Penguins to just two hits while allowing two runs (one earned) with two strikeouts and three walks.
Shannon Butts finished the day 3-for-4 at the plate, while Brinkmeier was 1-for-2 with three RBI.
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