LA CROSSE, Wis.-- The Jimmie softball team won two of three games against Viterbo University in a makeshift tripleheader necessitated by an unfavorable weather forecast for Wednesday.
UJ and Viterbo were scheduled to play a doubleheader on both Tuesday and Wednesday, but with a threat of rain turning to snow possibly wiping out Wednesday's games, the teams agreed to play a third game Tuesday.
In game one, the Jimmies jumped out to a 6-1 lead after two innings and withstood a V-Hawks rally to win 8-4. Hanna Dunnigan (JR/Regina, SK, Canada) hit a three-run homer and Sydney Greenlund (SR/West Fargo, ND) added a solo shot for the Jimmies in a four-run first inning.
Emily Newman (SR/Victoria, BC, Canada) plated two more runs in the second inning with a single to center. Emma Keller (SO/Poulsbo, WA) and Linda Ontiveros (JR/Yuma, AZ) scored to make it 6-0.
Viterbo's Kirsten Tomlinson homered to left center in the bottom of the second to make it 6-1, then hit a 2-run shot in the bottom of the fourth to cut the Jimmie lead to 6-3. Anna Lensmire blasted a solo home run in the bottom of the fifth to make it 6-4.
Autumn Wang (SR/Devils Lake, ND) gave UJ some breathing room in the top of the seventh as she hit the Jimmies' third home run of the game, also scoring Newman to make it 8-4.
Hanna Dunnigan (6-2) was the winning pitcher, going six innings and allowing four runs on five hits. She walked four and struck out three. Emma Keller pitched a scoreless inning for her second save.
Newman, Wang, Dunnigan, and Greenlund all had two hits. Dunnigan had three RBI and Wang and Newman added two each.
In the second game, Viterbo took an early 1-0 lead which they held until top of the fifth. Jamestown got a two-run double from Rylee Perez (SR/Indio, CA) and an RBI single from Brittany Rheault (SO/West Fargo, ND) to take a 3-1 lead.
Moira Collins tied the game for Viterbo in the bottom of the sixth with a two-run home run off Brittany Rheault. However, the Jimmies would rally in the top of the seventh for three runs. Emily Newman connected on a two-run home run and Sydney Greenlund had an RBI single to make it 6-3 UJ.
Rheault would retire Viterbo in order in the bottom of the seventh to move her record to 7-2. She pitched her seventh complete game of the season, allowing three runs on six hits, while walking three and striking out four.
Jamestown took a 2-0 lead after the top of the third in game three. Emily Newman's first inning RBI single and Hanna Dunnigan's third inning home run accounted for the UJ runs. The V-Hawks answered with five runs in their half of the third, with the first run coming on a bases-loaded walk and the other four runs on a grand slam by Sarah Throgmorton.
Kelly Halverson (FR/Surrey, BC, Canada) singled home Dunnigan in the top of the sixth to bring the Jimmies within 5-3. UJ had runners on second and third with two outs in the top of the seventh but were unable to bring them around and the game ended 5-3.
Brittany Rheault (7-3) started and took the loss for UJ. She gave up three unearned runs on three hits in 2 1/3 innings. Rheault walked two and struck out one before giving way to Emma Keller. Keller worked 1 inning, allowing three hits and two unearned runs, also walking two and striking out one. Dunnigan pitched the final 2 2/3 innings for the Jimmies allowing one hit and two walks.
Newman and Dunnigan recorded two hits in the game. Halverson, Sydney Jeffers (SR/Richmond, BC, Canada), Brook Rheault (SR/West Fargo, ND), Dani Norsby (SR/Shoreline, WA), and Kylie Macaig (FR/Airdrie, AB, Canada) had the other Jimmie hits.
UJ (17-6 overall, 2-1 North Star Athletic Association) is off until April 2, when they host Dakota State (S.D.).
