Softball

APPLETON, Wis. — Lawrence University’s Amanda Karnatz got her softball career off to a flying start by earning Midwest Conference Player of the Week honors after her first few games as a Viking.

Karnatz (Elmhurst, Ill./York), a rookie center fielder, sparked the Lawrence offense during the Vikings’ spring break trip to Florida. Batting at the top of the Lawrence lineup, Karnatz hit .538 during the Vikings’ final eight games in the Sunshine State.

Karnatz went 14-for-26 and scored 14 runs, an average of 1.75 per game. She also picked up three walks and was hit by a pitch to compile a .600 on-base percentage.

Karnatz showed pop in her bat as well with five doubles for a .731 slugging percentage. She swiped eight bases in nine tries and recorded an outfield assist.

The Vikings return to action on Wednesday when Lawrence hosts Rockford University in a nonconference doubleheader at Whiting Field.

CLERMONT, Fla. — The Lawrence University softball team finished its spring break trip to Florida on a down note by dropping a 10-1 nonconference decision to Thomas College.

Sydney LeBourveau went 2-for-4, including a three-run homer, and scored three times for Thomas (1-7). She also went the distance in the circle to pick up the victory in six innings.

Katie Taylor went 3-for-4 and scored three times for the Terriers.

Rheya Upadhyaya went 2-for-3 to pace Lawrence (5-7). Madeline MacLean pitched 5.1 innings and took the loss.

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CLERMONT, Fla. — The Hope College softball team posted a 12-9 nonconference victory over Lawrence University on Friday as the teams combined for 27 hits.

Hope jumped out to a 6-1 lead but had to fend off the Vikings, who scored eight runs in the final four innings.

Lexi Angemi went 4-for-4, drove in three runs and scored two runs for Lawrence (5-6), and Amanda Karnatz went 3-for-4 and scored three runs. Sam Belletini and Emilia Jackson both went 2-for-4 for Lawrence, and Belletini drove in a pair of runs.

Jackson made the start but lasted just 1.1 innings and took the loss. Katie Singer gave up three runs in four innings to pick up the victory for Hope (9-3).

Shay Pinhey went 3-for-3 and drove in three runs for Hope, which led 6-1 heading to the bottom of the fourth. Lawrence scored twice in the fourth as Belletini had a run-scoring double, and Madeline MacLean added an RBI single.

Hope and Lawrence exchanged four-run outbursts in the fifth with Angemi, Kori Looker and Rheya Upadhyaya all collecting run-scoring singles in the frame.

After Hope scored two in the top of the sixth to go up 12-7, the Vikings matched it with a pair of runs in the bottom half of the inning. Angemi picked up a run-scoring double in the inning.

Relief pitcher Tena Baar held the Vikings scoreless in the seventh to pick up the save.

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CLERMONT, Fla. — The Lawrence University softball team exploded for six runs in the second inning Thursday and rolled to a 9-1 nonconference victory in five innings over Allegheny College.

Lawrence rookie pitcher Emilia Jackson allowed only two hits, struck out one and walked one to improve to 4-2 on the season.

Sofie Pedersen went 2-for-2, drove in three runs and scored a pair of pair of runs to pace the Vikings (5-5). Kori Looker was 2-for-3 with a pair of doubles, two RBIs and two runs scored, and Sam Belletini went 2-for-3 and drove in two runs.

The Gators (2-8) led 1-0 before Lawrence broke the game open with six runs in the bottom of the second. Madeline MacLean singled and Looker doubled to start the rally, and Pedersen then delivered a two-run double to put the Vikings up 2-1.

After Jackson reached on an error, Rachel Urich singled to drive in Pedersen. A walk loaded the bases, and another error allowed a run to score. Belletini then delivered a two-run single to put Lawrence up 6-1.

Looker doubled to start the third inning, and Pedersen delivered a run-scoring single for a 7-1 edge. An error on Amanda Karnatz’s ground ball allowed Pedersen to score for an 8-1 lead.

Lawrence pushed the lead to 9-1 when Lexi Angemi doubled to start the fourth inning and scored on Looker’s sacrifice fly.

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CLERMONT, Fla. — The St. Lawrence University softball team scored in each of the first three innings Thursday and went on to an 8-0 nonconference victory over Lawrence University.

Elle Gray went 2-for-3 and belted a three-run homer in the opening inning to lead the Saints (9-1). Madison Mitchell allowed only two hits, struck out six and walked four to pick up the win.

Gray’s homer staked St. Lawrence to a 3-0 lead after one, and Deanna Sullivan delivered a two-run single in the second. The Saints pulled out to an 8-0 lead three more runs in the third.

Madeline MacLean allowed eight hits but only four earned runs in taking the loss for the Vikings (4-5).

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CLERMONT, Fla. — The Lawrence University softball team broke a tie with a run in the bottom of the sixth and escaped a jam in the top of the seventh Tuesday to earn a 6-5 nonconference win over Benedictine (Ill.) University.

A pair of rookies led the way for the Vikings as Amanda Karnatz and Lexi Angemi both went 3-for-4. Karnatz doubled, scored a pair of runs, including the game-winner, and drove in a run. Angemi drove in the game-winning run and scored another.

Rookie Emilia Jackson tossed 1.2 innings of scoreless relief to pick up the win for Lawrence (4-4). Emily Chitwood gave up 11 hits and six runs and took the loss for Benedictine (4-4).

The Eagles had just scored a run in the top of the sixth to tie the game at 5-5 but Karnatz led off the bottom half of the inning with a single. Karnatz stole second and went to third on a ground out. Angemi followed with a single up the middle to score Karnatz and put the Vikings up 6-5.

Jackson got the first out in the top of the seventh, but a single and error put runners at first and second. After a passed ball moved both runners into scoring position, Jackson got tough. She struck out Chitwood looking and got Kassee Johnson on a comebacker to end the game.

Benedictine jumped on top with two runs in the top of the first, but the Vikings quickly tied it in the bottom half of the inning. Rheya Upadhyaya and Angemi collected singles, and Upadhyaya scored on Sam Belletini’s sacrifice fly. Madeline MacLean followed with a single to score Angemi and tie the game at 2-2.

Lawrence grabbed a 5-2 lead with three runs in the second. Sofie Pedersen got the inning started with a single and came around to score on Karnatz’s single. Upadhyaya then squeezed home Marisa Thackston, who had reached on a fielder’s choice where both runners were safe. Another error allowed Karnatz to score, and the Vikings were up by three.

Benedictine closed the lead to 5-4 with two runs in the third before tying it in the sixth.

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CLERMONT, Fla. — The UW-Stevens Point softball team held on for a 5-3 nonconference victory Tuesday over Lawrence University.

The Pointers built a 3-0 lead but needed a pair of runs in the fifth to secure the victory.

Maddie Durie went five innings to pick up the victory. Paige Allen went 2-for-4 and drove in two runs for the Pointers (6-10).

Lexi Angemi went 2-for-4 and drove in a run for the Vikings (3-4). Emilia Jackson allowed three hits and three runs in 3.1 innings and took the loss.

Stevens Point was up 3-0 when the Vikings got on the board in the bottom of the third. Sofie Pedersen reached on an error and later scored on a wild pitch to cut the lead to 3-1.

Angemi started the fourth inning with a double, and a single and a walk loaded the bases. After a strikeout for the second out, Pedersen was hit by a pitch to drive in Angemi and cut the lead to 3-2. Marisa Thackston then lined out to end the frame.

After Stevens Point struck for two runs in the top of the fifth, the Vikings countered with a run in the bottom half of the inning. Amanda Karnatz singled to start the inning and came in to score on Angemi’s single.

That’s all the offense Lawrence could muster as Ashley Cohen provided two innings of scoreless relief to record the save.

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CLERMONT, Fla. — A five-run third inning pushed the Lawrence University softball team to the lead Monday, and the Vikings went on to a 10-4 nonconference victory over the Massachusetts College of Liberal Arts.

Madeline MacLean went 2-for-4 and drove in four runs for the Vikings, and Amanda Karnatz went 2-for-3 and scored three times. Kori Looker doubled and drove in two runs, and Lexi Angemi drove in a pair of runs Lawrence.

Rookie Emilia Jackson went the distance to get the win for Lawrence (3-3). She allowed seven hits, struck out six and did not walk a batter.

Lawrence trailed 3-1 when the Vikings scored five times on four hits and two walks in the bottom of the third.

The Vikings loaded the bases on two walks and a single when MacLean delivered a two-run single to tie the game. Looker followed with a two-run double to put Lawrence ahead, and Rachel Urich delivered a run-scoring single for a 6-3 lead.

The teams traded runs in the fourth, and Lawrence sealed the win with three runs in the sixth. Karnatz singled and later scored with the help of an error, and MacLean belted a two-run single to put the Vikings up 10-4.

Kara Adams lasted only 2.2 innings and gave up six runs in taking the loss for the Trailblazers (0-10).

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CLERMONT, Fla. — The Lawrence University softball team pounded out 16 hits Monday and rolled to an 11-5 nonconference victory over Union (N.Y.) College.

The first five hitters in the Lawrence lineup combined for 14 hits as the Vikings jumped out to an 8-0 lead.

Madeline MacLean, Sam Belletini, Lexi Angemi and Amanda Karnatz all collected three hits for the Vikings (2-3), and Rheya Upadhyaya and Rachel Urich both had two hits.

MacLean drove in four runs, and Angemi and Belletini had two runs batted in apiece. Karnatz scored three times and swiped a pair of bases.

MacLean also went the distance in the circle to get her first win of the season. She gave up 14 hits, struck out four and walked one.

Lawrence started to break the game open with four runs in the second. Lawrence led 2-0 when MacLean’s belted a bases-loaded, bases-clearing double to put the Vikings up 5-0.

Lawrence added three more runs in the third as Karnatz, Upadhyaya and Belletini all collected run-scoring singles for an 8-0 lead.

The Dutchwomen cut lead to 8-3 with three runs in the bottom of the third, but Lawrence countered with two runs in the fifth. MacLean and Urich had had RBI singles in the inning as the Vikings stretched the lead to 10-3.

After Union (2-4) scored two in the bottom of the fifth, Lawrence tacked on an insurance run in the sixth on Angemi’s run-scoring single.

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CLERMONT, Fla. — The Lawrence University softball team rode two big innings to a 10-5 nonconference victory over D’Youville College on Saturday.

Lawrence scored four times in the third and added six runs in the fourth to rally from a 4-0 deficit.

Sofie Pedersen went 3-for-3 and scored a pair of runs to pace the Vikings’ 12-hit attack. Amanda Karnatz, Rheya Upadhyaya and Rachel Urich all went 2-for-4, and Karnatz and Upadhyaya both drove in three runs.

Rookie Emilia Jackson worked six-plus innings to pick up her first collegiate victory. She struck out 12, just two shy of Sara Schye’s school record, and did not walk a batter. Madeline MacLean got the final three outs.

The Vikings (1-3) trailed 4-0 heading to the bottom of the third when Urich and Pedersen opened the inning with singles. Karnatz delivered a one-out, two-run triple to slice the lead to 4-2. Upadhyaya followed with a run-scoring double, and Sam Belletini added a RBI single to tie the game at 4-4.

The Vikings broke the game open with six runs in the fourth. Singles by Urich and Pedersen and a walk to Marisa Thackston loaded the bases.

An error on Karnatz’s fly ball allowed two runs to score, and Upadhyaya followed with a two-run double to put the Vikings up 8-4. An error on Belletini’s ground ball allowed another run to score, and MacLean lifted a sacrifice fly to make the score 10-4.

D’Youville (0-1) added a run in the fifth and started the seventh with back-to-back singles. MacLean came on and retired the next three batters to close out the game.

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