Annis Records Win No. 300 As Softball Defeats UW-Stevens Point 9-1

ROCHESTER, Minn. – Sunday was a milestone day for the Gustavus softball team as Head Coach Jeff Annis claimed his 300th all-time victory in a season-opening 9-1 win against UW-Stevens Point at the Rochester Regional Bubble. The Gusties then faced UW-River Falls and won 11-6. Now in his 11th season at Gustavus, Annis holds an overall record of 301-122-1 and is the winningest coach in program history.

Game 1: Gustavus 9, UW-Stevens Point 1 | BOX SCORE

The Gusties erased an early one-run deficit and scored nine unanswered runs for a 9-1 victory over the Pointers.

In the bottom of the second, UW-Stevens Point got on the board first with a run on a two-out rally. Gustavus answered immediately in the top of the third with its own two-out rally. Rachel Malo (Jr., Owatonna, Minn.) crossed home plate after she was hit by a pitch, advanced to second on a wild pitch, and scored on an error.

The Gusties took the lead in the fourth on two hits and an error. Jena Willis (Jr., Kalispell, Mt.) and Hannah Heacox (Jr., Stillwater, Minn.) both singled and scored in the inning, which gave Gustavus a lead it would not relinquish.

Gustavus took a 5-1 advantage in the fifth with three more hits and took advantage of another Pointer error. Nathalee Boissiere (Sr., Plymouth, Minn.) doubled after Kaitlyn Bicek (Sr., Northfield, Minn.) reached on an error, and both scored on an RBI single off the bat of Heacox.

Three more insurance runs were added in the sixth after three hits and another error. Amber Hoffman (Sr., New Prague, Minn.) singled, while Bicek and Boissiere both doubled in the frame.

The final run of the game was scored in the seventh. Jessica Neuman (So., Elk River, Minn.) reached on an error and later scored on a sacrifice by Jessica Williams (Sr., Plymouth, Minn.).

Boissiere and Heacox led the Gusties at the plate, both with two hits. Boissiere went 2-for-4 with two RBI, while Heacox went 2-for-3 with one run and two RBI.

Heacox earned the win on the rubber, pitching six innings with one run allowed on four hits. She struck out seven and walked three. Willis tossed the final inning and faced four batters with two strikeouts and a walk.

Game 2: Gustavus 11, UW-River Falls 6 | BOX SCORE

The Gusties cruised to an 11-6 victory after putting up seven runs in the first inning. Gustavus sent 11 batters to the plate and connected for five hits in the frame – Malo, Boissiere, Addy Nelsen (Sr., Willmar, Minn.), Williams, and Emily Webb (Fy., Maple Lake, Minn.) all recorded a hit each.

The Falcons scored one in the second on a hit and an error, but the Gusties responded in the third inning with four more runs. Gustavus did not record a hit in the frame and took advantage of three errors and two fielder’s choices. UW-River Falls answered right back with their own four-run inning in the fourth. The Falcons tagged relief pitcher Willis for two hits and took advantage of two errors in the inning. After tossing the first three innings, Heacox returned to the rubber with with one out in the fifth. The junior ace then finished the game with zero earned runs on two hits and seven strikeouts.

Malo and Rachel Strandmark (So., New Ulm, Minn.) led the Gusties at the plate. Malo went 2-for-3 with two runs and an RBI, while Strandmark went 2-for-2 with two runs and two walks.

Gustavus (2-0) returns to the Rochester Regional Bubble at noon Saturday for a non-conference game against Dubuque, followed by a 4:30 p.m. game against Buena Vista.