No. 12 Storm softball walks off Macalester to split day's action

CLERMONT, Fla. - After dropping the opener 7-4 to 14th-ranked UW-Whitewater, 12th-ranked Simpson rallied back with a game-tying seventh inning home run from Katie Shaner, and a walk-off from Ashlyn Steen on Friday,

GAME ONE HIGHLIGHTS

• Simpson jumped on the board first in the second inning with an RBI single from Megan Heidelbauer, scoring Brynn Ortlund.
• UW-Whitewater responded back in the bottom half of the second with RBI hits, scoring three runners and taking a 3-1 lead.
• UW-Whitewater once again struck for runs in the fourth, scoring four on an RBI single to left, a sac fly, and finally an RBI down the left field line to break open a 7-1 edge.
• The Storm started chipping away at the deficit, starting with an RBI double from Brielyn Ginnaty in the fifth that plated Katie Shaner. Then in the sixth, Heidelbauer drove in a pair with an RBI double down the left field line.
• Despite the late offensive surge, UW-Whitewater held off the Storm comeback attempt, claiming the 7-4 win.

GAME ONE LEADERS

Katie Shaner - 3-for-3, 1 R, 1 BB, 1 3B, 1 2B
Megan Heidelbauer - 2-for-4, 3 RBI, 1 2B
Ashlyn Steen - 2-for-4, 1 R, 1 SB
Marina Cronin - 3 IP, 2 H, 0 R, 1 K

GAME TWO HIGHLIGHTS

• Once again, the Storm jumped on the board first, this time on an RBI single from Mackenzie James, scoring Steen for a 1-0 lead.
• Macalester scored six of the next seven runs, outside of an RBI single from Shaner in the third, including four in the fifth to take a 6-2 lead over Simpson.
• With the offense looking for a spark, Addison Gookin delivered with a solo shot to left in the sixth.
• Later in the inning, Heidelbauer singled up the middle, along with an error on the play, plating two more runners and cutting the game to a one-run affair.
• Down to the final three outs, Shaner led off the seventh and worked a hitter's count of 3-1. Shaner lifted a ball to deep left and tied the game with her first home run of the season and sent the game into extra innings.
• The Storm stranded Macalester's runners in scoring position and went to the bottom of the eighth. Ortlund advanced the runner to third on a sac bunt, setting up Steen for the moment.
• On the first pitch, Steen drove the ball through the right side, scoring Rouse and winning the game in walk-off fashion.

GAME TWO LEADERS

Katie Shaner - 2-for-4, 1 HR, 1 R, 2 RBI
Megan Heidelbauer - 2-for-4, 1 R, 1 RBI, 1 SB
Addison Gookin - 2-for-3, 1 HR, 1 R, 1 RBI
Marina Cronin - 3.1 IP, W, 2 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 4 K

UP NEXT
Simpson wraps up the Spring Games with a doubleheader on Saturday, March 21 starting with Farmingdale State at 9:00 a.m. and George Fox at 1:30 p.m..