DE PERE – St. Norbert College split with Aurora University in a Northern Athletics Collegiate Conference doubleheader at Miron Construction Field, downing the Spartans 7-4 in the opening game of the afternoon before falling 11-2 in the second game.
The Green Knights (5-13, 4-2) recovered from an early 1-0 deficit with five runs in the third inning in the first game of the doubleheader. The Spartans made the Green Knights work for the win as they scored three runs in the sixth to make it 6-4, but an insurance run in the bottom of the inning gave St. Norbert the win. In the second game, the Spartans took a 7-0 lead and ended the game early after five innings.
St. Norbert tied the game at 1-1 in the first game with Andrianna Volz scoring on a sacrifice fly from Zoe Zasada. Ava Engwall hit a solo home run on the next at-bat to give St. Norbert its first lead of the day at 2-1, while singles from Grendel Sprong and Morgan Hansel brought home three more runs. Hansel's single scored two, giving the Green Knights a 5-1 lead after three innings.
Engwall scored Zasada on an RBI single in the fourth as the Green Knights held a healthy 6-1 lead. The Spartans pulled back three runs in the sixth to make it 6-4, but an Allison Ardito (pictured) home run in the sixth gave the Green Knights a 7-4 victory.
Engwall finished with three hits, going 3-of-4 with two RBIs. Ardito and Hansel each had two hits. Addison Maurer earned her first win of the season, pitching six innings and allowing 11 hits and four runs with four strikeouts. Bailie Thielen earned her first save of the season, pitching one inning and allowing only one hit.
In the second game, Aurora scored seven runs in two innings before St. Norbert could muster a reply. The Green Knights had opportunities in both the first and second innings with the bases loaded but only brought home one run. Sprong scored St. Norbert's first run of the game in the second off a Morgan Jarvi sacrifice fly to make it 7-1.
Aurora grew the lead to 9-1 in the fourth. Ardito hit a triple and scored on the same play after a throwing error by the Spartan infield to make it 9-2. Two more runs in the fifth doomed the Green Knights as the sides retired early after five innings amid the run rule.
Ardito accounted for three of St. Norbert's nine hits, going 3-for-3. Zasada finished with two hits. Thielen took the loss, pitching 2 1/3 innings and allowing nine hits and seven runs with one strikeout.
