Ralfs sets school career strikeout record
| Final | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | R | H | E | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
St. Ambrose (IA) | 0 | 0 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 0 | 6 | 7 | 2 |
|
Webber International (FL) | 3 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 1 | X | 7 | 10 | 3 |
Game 2
Game 2
| Final | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | R | H | E | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
St. Ambrose (IA) | 0 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 3 | 9 | 2 |
|
Webber International (FL) | 2 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 7 | 1 | 11 | 13 | 2 |
Erica Ralfs became the St. Ambrose softball career strikeout leader when she struck out four in game one of a doubleheader at Webber International Tuesday afternoon.
Needing three strikeouts to break Janelle Cook's record of 312 set in 2001, Ralfs tied the mark with a pair of strikeouts in the opening inning. An inning later, she set the mark, getting the third batter she faced in the frame looking for her 313th strikeout. Ralfs, a fifth-year senior from Davenport, Iowa, would add to her mark getting one additional strikeout to end the third inning.
Unfortunately, the record came as part of a loss. The Bees battled back from deficits of 4-0 and 6-4 before ultimately falling 7-6.
Trailing by four, St. Ambrose got back into the game in the top of the third. Reagan Engberg singled in Gracie Jevyak and Becca Haag followed with an RBI single to cut the deficit in half. Alyssa Schumacher had a sacrifice fly in the fourth and Haag added a sac fly of her own in the fifth to tie the game at 4-4.
After Webber regained a 6-4 lead in the bottom of the fifth, St. Ambrose again rallied. The Bees loaded the bases in the sixth on an error, a single from Taylor Martyn and a walk to Schumacher. With two outs, Shai Erdrich came through with a hit, one of two hits for her in the game, to plate a pair of runs to knot the score at 6-6. In the bottom of the frame, the Warriors again went in front on a solo home run. The Bees had an opportunity in the seventh as Haag walked but pinch runner Mya Millsaps was erased on a double-play ball. Paige Kirkman reached on an infield single but pinch runner Kylee Claypool was stranded there.
Chloe Mitchell was tagged with the loss in relief of Ralfs.
SAU was again forced to play from behind early in the second game, an 11-3 six-inning loss. Webber struck first, plating two runs in the bottom of the first. St. Ambrose pulled even thanks to run-scoring singles from Laurel Politsch and Claypool in the top of the second. The Warriors went back in front in the fourth before Schumacher's ground out scored Mady Reed to tie the game at 3-3 in the fifth. But Webber broke things open in the bottom of the inning, scoring seven times to build a 10-3 lead. The Warriors added a run in the bottom of the sixth to close out the win.
Schumacher and Claypool each had two hits. Erdrich, Reed, Millsaps and Liz Garcia also had hits.
Annebelle Krull took the loss. Cara Linnenkamp pitched the final 1 2/3 innings.
St. Ambrose (11-15) will continue its Spring Break trip with a doubleheader at Keiser Wednesday.