By: Stephen Wagner

GREEN BAY, Wis. (GreenBayPhoenix.com) – The Green Bay softball team (1-1) saw its first action this afternoon in Cedar Falls, Iowa, at the UNI Dome Classic and picked up a nail-biting win over Southern Utah (0-1), defeating the Thunderbirds 5-3, and fell to North Dakota State (1-0) 8-0.

Green Bay 5, Southern Utah 3

After falling behind 1-0 to the Thunderbirds in the first inning, the Phoenix rattled off the next three runs of the game, earning the 3-1 advantage after the top of the fifth. Southern Utah made things interesting by scoring two runs in the bottom of inning and knotting things up at 3-3.

With the Thunderbirds putting away the first two batters of the sixth, Green Bay had just one out remaining in the inning when Jaclyn Delagrange stepped up to the plate and singled to left. With one on and two out, it was Miranda Spangberg's turn at the plate for the Phoenix. Spangberg stepped up in a pivotal at bat and gave Green Bay a 5-3 lead off of a two-run homerun.

The Phoenix brought Heather Sanderson back into the game with two outs remaining in the sixth, with Sanderson getting Southern Utah's Greenburg to ground into a double play and holding on to Green Bay's two-run advantage. Sanderson struck out two batters in the final inning and got the Thunderbirds' Hales to pop out to first, sealing the 5-3 victory for the Phoenix.

Spangberg finished the game going 2-for-3 at the plate, picking up three RBIs in the process and hitting the go-ahead homerun in the sixth inning. Katelyn Huemmer and Jaclyn Delagrange each had two hits and an RBI in the contest.

Katie Rossman (1-0) gets the win for Green Bay, with Rossman giving up four hits and picking up one strikeout in her inning on the mound. Heather Sanderson (Rapid River, Mich.) (1), who struck out four on the day, gave up only two hits in six innings of work, garnering the save and sealing victory for the Phoenix.

First-year head coach Beth Spoehr picked up her first career win in the 5-3 victory over Southern Utah.

North Dakota State 8, Green Bay 0 (Five Innings)

After defeating Southern Utah, the Phoenix was right back at it with a matchup against a tough North Dakota State team. The Jackrabbits came out swinging and jumped to a 5-0 lead after the first inning of play, later adding one run in the fourth and two in the fifth. Green Bay managed to get four runners on base but was unable to get any of them to touch home.

North Dakota State's Krista Menke struck out 10 Phoenix batters and did not give up a hit in five innings of work.

Green Bay softball will return to action tomorrow night, as it takes on tournament host UNI for a doubleheader starting at 5:15 p.m.

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