Olson Has 10 RBIs In Pointer Softball Sweep

RIVER FALLS, Wis. – Samantha Olson (New Lisbon, WI/New Lisbon) knocked in 10 runs, including a career-high six in the opener, to power the UW-Stevens Point softball team to a sweep at UW-River Falls by scores of 10-6 and 11-2 on Monday afternoon at Ramer Field. UW-Stevens Point 10, UW-River Falls 6 | Box Samantha Olson (New Lisbon, WI/New Lisbon) hit a grand slam for her first-career home run as part of a career-high six RBI game for UW-Stevens Point (13-20, 3-7 WIAC). UW-River Falls (16-18, 3-9 WIAC) scored four runs in the bottom of the fifth but the Pointers replied with four runs of their own in the top of the sixth to take a lead they would hold on to. In the decisive top of the sixth, UW-Stevens Point scored four runs on just three hits. After a walk, an error and a passed ball, Katie Uhlenbrauck (Hortonville, WI/Hortonville) singled in Sam Raddant (Shawano, WI/Shawano) for the eventual game-winning run. With two outs, the Pointers added three more on a two-run single by Olson and a RBI double by Bailie Sheahan (Salem, WI/Wilmot Union). UW-River Falls opened the scoring with a two-run first inning before UW-Stevens Point scored the next six runs of the game. Breanna Ellison (Pepin, WI/Pepin) hit her first home run of the season, a solo shot to left, to get the Pointers on the board in the second. In the third, the Pointers loaded the bases with two outs after an intentional walk to Ellison. Olson then stepped up and tagged a grand slam to left center for her first collegiate home run. Olson had never driven in more than two runs in a game in her collegiate career but finished 2-for-4 with two runs and six RBI. Ellison scored three times, while Raddant and Maddie Sawdey (Medford, WI/Medford) each crossed home plate twice. Sheahan was 2-for-4 with a double, triple and two RBI. In addition to her damage at the plate, Ellison picked up the win with 2.2 innings of shutout relief. She held the Falcons to two hits and a walk and struck out two to move to 2-3 this season. UW-Stevens Point 11, UW-River Falls 2 | Box Olson was 2-for-3 with two runs and four more RBI and Cassidy Winter (Westfield, WI/Westfield) also drove in four, including her first collegiate home run, to power the Pointers to the sweep. The sweep is the first over the Falcons since the WIAC began doubleheaders in 2007 and the first back-to-back wins over UWRF since the 2002 and 2003 seasons. UW-Stevens Point jumped in front early, scoring five runs in the top of the first. Sheahan knocked in the first run with a sacrifice liner to right before Olson doubled in a run. Winter delivered the big hit of the inning, a three-run home run to center field for her first-career home run. UW-River Falls scored single runs in the third and fifth sandwiched around an Ellison RBI double in the fifth, leaving the Pointers ahead 6-2 after five innings. UW-Stevens Point proceeded to score the final five runs of the game, all in the seventh inning. Paige Allen (South Elgin, IL/South Elgin) and Winter each registered RBI singles in the seventh and Olson knocked a three-run, bases-clearing double to right center. Sawdey joined Olson and Winter with two hits in the game and scored twice for the second game of the day. Ellison held the Falcons to one earned run in the first three innings before Sydney Gorges (Hortonville, WI/Hortonville) threw the final four frames. Gorges gave up one earned run on just two hits to improve to 5-9 on the season. The WIAC doubleheader sweep was UW-Stevens Point’s first since April 27, 2013 when the Pointers won 3-2 and 6-3 at UW-Platteville. UW-Stevens Point hosts UW-Oshkosh on Senior Day on Wednesday, April 22 for a doubleheader that begins at 3 p.m. at McCarty Memorial Field.