Schumacher’s three-run blast lifts Vikings to split with Cornell

APPLETON, Wis. — Katie Schumacher’s three-run homer capped a five-run fifth inning in the nightcap Saturday to lift the Lawrence University softball team to a Midwest Conference doubleheader split with Cornell College at Whiting Field.

Lawrence won the second game 5-4, and Cornell got a one-hit shutout to win the opener 3-0.

In the second game, the Vikings trailed 2-0 when they struck for five runs in the fifth inning. An error and Savanna Marsicek’s double put two runners aboard, and Lawrence (11-8-1, 4-2 MWC) tied the game with a run-scoring ground out and RBI single from Taylor Dodson.

After Kori Looker was hit by a pitch, Schumacher launched her third homer in as many games to give the Vikings a 5-2 lead. Schumacher finished 2-for-2 in the nightcap and drove in three, and Marsicek was 2-for-3.

Two doubles and an error in the sixth helped Cornell (13-13, 6-4) cut the lead to 5-4. Maddie MacLean came on in relief for the Vikings and got the final two outs of the sixth and worked around a single in the seventh to record her first career save.

Jessica Demski allowed seven hits over 5.1 innings to get the win and improve to 5-3 on the season. Jesse Applehans worked 4.2 innings and took the loss for the Rams.

In the opener, Haley Harmon tossed a one-hitter to lead the Rams to the victory. She struck out 11 and walked three. She took a no-hitter into the sixth before it was broken up by Anna Wawiorka’s two-out single.

Applehans, Melissa Orton, Kendra Christensen and Melissa Griffin all had two hits in the opener for Cornell.

Game one box score

Game two box score