LA CROSSE, WI- The La Crosse Steam split the doubleheader with the Minot Honeybees at Copeland Park in front of 580 fans.
Game 1:
Honeybees: 6 Steam: 5
Steam starter Rachel Mori (William Peace) pitched 6 innings, conceding 6 runs on 3 hits, and striking out 3.
Honeybees starter Jasmine Blizzard (Minot State) completed 5 innings, allowing 4 runs on 9 hits.
The Steam took an early lead in the bottom of the 1st inning with RBIs from Grace Frechette (St. Cloud State) and Rachel Mori, making the score 2-0.
The Honeybees responded in the top of the 2nd inning, scoring 4 runs through a Trinity Gregg (Jamestown) RBI ground out, an Abbie Stigler (Saint Mary’s) RBI walk, and a two-run single by Josie Buhr (Kansas Wesleyan), leading 4-2.
The Steam tied the game in the bottom of the 3rd inning with Frechette scoring on a wild pitch after hitting a triple, and Calli Janik (Mount Mercy) scoring on an error.
In the top of the 4th inning, Buhr drove in another run for the Honeybees with a fielder’s choice, putting them ahead 5-4. Frechette answered back in the bottom of the 4th with an RBI single, leveling the score at 5-5.
In the top of the 5th inning, Jackie Albrecht (North Dakota) drove in a run with a sacrifice fly, securing a 6-5 lead for the Honeybees, which they maintained to win the game.
Game 2:
Honeybees: 1 Steam: 5
Steam starter Mackenzie Willis (Belmont) dominated, pitching 7 innings, allowing only 1 run on 2 hits, and striking out 13.
Honeybees starter Peyton Whitehead (Mary) lasted 1.1 innings, giving up 3 earned runs on 3 hits. Reliever Kierra Fournier (Minot State) pitched 4.2 scoreless innings, allowing 3 hits.
The Steam again took an early lead in the bottom of the 1st inning, with Calli Janik driving in a run on a ground out and Katie Beagle scoring on a steal by Rachel Mori.
In the bottom of the 2nd inning, an error allowed 2 runs to score, and Ashlee Chantos added 2 more with an RBI single, making it 5-0.
The Honeybees managed to score in the top of the 5th inning with an RBI triple by Trinity Gregg, but that was their only run as the Steam secured a 5-1 victory in Game 2.
With this doubleheader split, the La Crosse Steam now have a record of 12-22, while the Minot Honeybees are 7-25. The Steam will be back at home tomorrow to face the Madison Night Mares, with the first pitch scheduled for 5:05 p.m.
