LA CROSSE, WI – The La Crosse Steam fell to the Mankato Habaneros, 6-3, at Copeland Park in front of 455 fans.
Steam starting pitcher Alexis Watson (Viterbo) delivered a solid performance, going seven innings while allowing five runs on ten hits and striking out two.
Habaneros starter Jayme Scheck (Drake) matched Watson’s duration, pitching seven innings and conceding three runs on nine hits while striking out five.
The Habaneros initiated the scoring in the top of the first inning, with Amity White (South Alabama) crossing the plate on a passed ball.
The Steam quickly responded in the bottom of the first with an RBI single from Grace Frechette (St. Cloud State), leveling the score at 1-1.
In the top of the second, the Habaneros added two runs. Sailor Hall (Kirkwood CC) advanced home on a throw from the Steam catcher, followed by a sacrifice fly from Joscelyn Bennett (Bryant and Stratton) that drove in Indigo Fish (Wisconsin-Superior), bringing the score to 3-1 in favor of the Habaneros.
The Steam narrowed the gap in the bottom of the third with an RBI walk by Avary Makarewicz (Eastern Illinois), making it 3-2.
Indigo Fish extended the Habaneros’ lead with an RBI double in the top of the sixth, pushing the score to 4-2. Fish continued to dominate in the top of the seventh, adding two more runs with another double, increasing the lead to 6-2.
The Steam managed to score once more in the bottom of the seventh with an RBI ground out from Calli Janik (Mount Mercy), concluding the game at 6-3 in favor of the Habaneros.
With this loss, La Crosse’s record stands at 2-8, while Mankato’s record improves to 7-2. The Steam will next face the Madison Night Mares at Copeland Park on June 30th, with the first pitch scheduled for 5:05 p.m.
