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foraristo
Kylie Macziewski
Anna Forari hit her first home run of the 2023 season in Luther's 7-6 win over Carleton.
2
Winner Luther LCSB 11-2
0
Wis.-Platteville UWPSB 5-2
Winner
Luther LCSB
11-2
2
Final
0
Wis.-Platteville UWPSB
5-2
Score By Periods
Team 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 R H E
Luther LCSB 1 0 0 0 0 0 1 2 9 2
Wis.-Platteville UWPSB 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 4 1

W: Cooper, Kendra (6-1) L: Claire Bakkestuen (3-2)

6
Carleton CAR 6-3
7
Winner Luther LCSB 12-2
Carleton CAR
6-3
6
Final
7
Luther LCSB
12-2
Winner
Score By Periods
Team 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 R H E
Carleton CAR 1 0 3 1 1 0 0 6 10 2
Luther LCSB 3 0 0 1 3 0 X 7 10 2

W: Cooper, Kendra (7-1) L: Faith Hanshaw (4-1)

Game Recap: Softball |

Norse nab wins over UW-Platteville, Carleton

POLK COUNTY, FLA.  – The Luther College softball team was due for a pair of nail biters. After opening their trip to Florida with a 3-1 record, the Norse eked out two wins against midwest opponents Monday morning, defeating UW-Platteville 2-0 before picking up a 7-6 win over Carleton. With the nonconference sweep, Luther improves to 12-2 this season and 5-1 at The Spring Games in Florida. 

GAME ONE: LUTHER (2) vs. UW-PLATTEVILLE (0)
It was a low scoring affair Monday morning, as the Norse needed just two runs to take down the Pioneers 2-0. In the top of the first inning, however, it seemed like Luther was going to run away with the game, as the Norse took a 1-0 lead on a Riley Sauser (Ely, Iowa / Cedar Rapids Prairie) RBI single. However, Luther's first inning rally was cut short, as Teagan Hansen (Plainview, Minn. / Plainview-Elgin-Millville) was thrown out trying to advance to third on a fly ball. 

Still, one run was enough for Kendra Cooper (Lansing, Iowa / Kee) and the Norse, as they held UW-Platteville scoreless over the course of seven innings. That wasn't to say the Pioneers didn't threaten Luther's one-run lead multiple times. In the bottom of the first, UW-Platteville looked to even things at one, as the Pioneers put runners on first and second with hits to right field. A strikeout from Cooper ended the UW-Platteville threat and preserved the Norse 1-0 lead. The Pioneers would threaten in both the second and third innings, as they managed to put a runner on second, but Luther's defense shut UW-Platteville down each and every time. 

Luther added an insurance run in the top of the seventh courtesy of an RBI single from Abby Spore (Cedar Rapids, Iowa / Kennedy). With a 2-0 lead, Cooper sent the Pioneers down in order, securing the victory with a groundout to third base.

GAME TWO: LUTHER (7) vs. CARLETON (6) 
Everything was running smoothly for the Norse at the start of game two, as they quickly took a 3-1 lead over the Knights. After giving up a run in the top of the first, Luther responded by scoring three runs in the bottom of the inning, as the Norse opened the game with three consecutive hits from Belle Berg (Chatfield, Minn. / Chatfield), Sydney Schultz (Raymond, Iowa / Columbus Catholic) and Spore. Leah Crown (Plato, Minn. / Central) also provided a fielder's choice RBI in the inning, securing the momentum and a 3-1 lead for Luther. 

However, things quickly went south in the top of the third inning,as Carleton scored three runs on three hits and an error to gain a 4-3 lead over the Norse. The Knights then tacked on an extra run in the top of the fourth, once again on a Luther error, extending the lead to 5-3. This time, Luther had an answer, as Anna Forari (Bettendorf, Iowa / Bettendorff) jacked a home run over the center field fence to cut the lead to 5-4 after four. 

Carleton added a run in the top of the fifth, but again, the Norse answered, this time tying the game and taking a lead of their own. After Sauser opened the inning with a ground rule double, head coach Renae Hartl opted to put Hansen in as a pinch runner at second.  The first year did not need to use her speed, as Crown laced a two-run moonshot over the left field fence to tie the game at 6-6. A walk, base hit bunt and sacrifice bunt later, the Norse had runners on second and third with one out and Katie Brennan (Lansing, Iowa / Kee) at the plate. The senior delivered, as her foul fly out scored Chloe Wagner (Blair, Wis. / Blair-Taylor) from third, giving Luther a 7-6 lead. 

That single run was all the Norse needed, as Cooper pitched three flawless innings of relief to earn her second win of the day. The fifth year senior sent the Knights down in order to cement Luther's comeback victory, striking out the final batter as icing on the cake. 

TOP NORSE

  • Abby Spore (Cedar Rapids, Iowa / Kennedy) went 3-4 at the plate with an RBI in the Norse 2-0 win over the Pioneers. Riley Sauser (Ely, Iowa / Cedar Rapids Prairie) and Belle Berg (Chatfield, Minn. / Chatfield) each went 2-4. 
  • Sydney Schultz (Raymond, Iowa / Columbus Catholic) once again went 3-4 at the plate in Luther's comeback win over Carleton and scored one run. Anna Forari (Bettendorf, Iowa / Bettendorf) was 1-2 with a home run, while Leah Crown (Plato, Minn. / Central) went 1-4 with three RBI. 
  • Kendra Cooper (Lansing, Iowa / Kee) picked up both wins in the circle, improving to 7-1 after pitching 9.2 innings of shutout softball. The fifth year senior picked up her first win of the day in the Norse 2-0 shutout of UW-Platteville, holding the Pioneers to just four hits in seven innings of work. She then picked up the win in relief against the Knights, allowing just one hit and striking out five in 2.2 innings of work.

UP NEXT
The Norse will return to action on Tuesday, as they are set to face Buffalo State and Washington and Jefferson College at The Spring Games. First pitch against the Bengals is scheduled for 8:00 a.m. CT in Polk County, Florida with game two roughly scheduled to begin at 10:30 a.m. CT. 

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