April 17, 2008

ALMA - Junior Nikki Christensen went the distance to earn the pitching win and hit a two-run homer in the second inning to lead the Lake Superior State softball team to a 3-2 victory during Game 1 of Thursday's non-conference double-header at Alma.

LSSU (8-14) also totaled 14 hits en route to a 7-4 eight-inning victory during Game 2.

Christensen had no walks and struck out three while pitching a two-hitter. She was 1-for-3 at the plate.

April Brandt led off the fourth inning with a double and scored the game-winning run on a single by Helena Zandarski. Brandt finished 2-for-3, and Rachel Hall had the Lakers' only other hit.

LSSU's three-run rally during the eighth inning of the nightcap started with a two-out double by Lacey Knoop that scored Zandarski, who reached first on a walk. Jennie Elliott closed out the rally with an RBI single. Knoop and Nichole Dunford scored unearned runs.

Dunford finished 2-for-3, while Brandt was 2-for-5 with a game-tying solo home run in the top of the seventh inning. Elliott was 2-for-4, and Hall, Lorrie Chaperon, Christensen, Amber Kern, Chelsea Maynard and Zandarski added one hit each. Hall's lone hit was a triple.

Elliott allowed only two earned runs while improving her pitching record to 5-4. She totaled five strikeouts and two walks.

LSSU resumes conference play with a double-header at 1 p.m. Saturday at Ferris State.