ROSEMONT, Ill. -- The Lewis University softball team started off its 2024 Dome Invitational on a strong note as the Flyers recorded a pair of a victories against Minnesota State-Moorhead and Wayne State Thursday (Feb. 22). The Flyers defeated the Dragons 10-2 in six innings then won against the Warriors 8-3.
GAME 1: Lewis 10, Minnesota State-Moorhead 2 (6 innings)
TEAM RECORDS
Lewis 3-2 | Minnesota-Mankato 6-4
SUMMARY
Both teams were scoreless in the first inning before Lewis erupted for six runs in the second.
Grace Kmak (Mokena, Ill.) started the scoring with a two-run single to left which scored
Payton Wuske (Frankfort, IL/Lincoln-Way East) and
Evie Calderon (Chicago, IL/Whitney Young) to make it 2-0.
Gabi Nilles (North Aurora, IL/West Aurora) drove home Kmak on a double to left field to make it 3-0.
Jalyn Powell (Tolono, IL/Unity) extended the lead out to 5-0 after her two-run double scored Nilles and
Delaney Garden (Carpentersville, IL/Harry D. Jacobs High School).
Anna Frafjord (Sussex, WI/Hamilton High School) made it 6-0 after she ripped a single up the middle which scored
Erica Hoffman (Hebron, IN/Boone Grove High School). Minnesota State got two back, one each in the fifth and sixth, to make it 6-2.
Lewis responded with four in the bottom of the sixth to win in walk-off fashion via mercy rule. Calderon opened up with her first home run of the season to make it 7-2.
Hoffman walked it off with a bases-clearing triple which ended up scoring Garden, Nilles and
Emma Young (New Lenox, IL/Lincoln-Way West). Garden (1-2) recorded her first win of the season in the circle after going all six innings, allowing five hits, giving up two runs, issuing one walk and striking out four.
GAME 2: Lewis 8, Wayne State 3
TEAM RECORDS
Lewis 4-2 | Wayne State 0-1
SUMMARY
Kmak started the scoring in the second game as well this time she ripped an RBI single to right which scored
Meghan Bontrager (Milford, IN/Northridge) to make it 1-0. Nilles doubled the lead after her double to center scored Kmak to make it 2-0.
Wayne State responded with two unearned runs the next half inning of its own to tie it up at 2-2. Lewis got both runs right back in the bottom half which made it 4-2.
Frafjord hit a double to left which scored Hoffman for the lead then Calderon hit a ground rule double to make it 4-2. The Warriors got one back in its next half of the inning to make it 4-3 Lewis but that was all the scoring for Wayne State.
Nilles got two runs back on one swing with a two-run single which scored Kmak and Young for a 7-3 Lewis lead. Hoffman brought home Nilles with her RBI single which made it 8-3 Lewis and that score would hold up.
Allie Wondrasek (New Lenox, IL/Lincoln-Way West High School) (2-0) recorded the win after going four frames, giving up eight hits, allowing three runs (one earned) and striking out a pair. Wuske recorded her first save of the season after throwing three scoreless innings, only allowing one hit, issuing one free pass and striking out four.
UP NEXT
Lewis will be back in action for the third day of the Lewis Dome Tournament Saturday (Feb. 24) as the Flyers take on Hillsdale at 11 a.m. then Minnesota-Duluth at 1:30 p.m.
