Horizon League Softball Championship Game Eight: Green Bay 8, Detroit 0

May 9, 2008

CHICAGO - The University Wisconsin-Green Bay shutout the University of Detroit Mercy 8-0 in five innings in game eight of the Horizon League Championship at Loyola Softball Park. The Phoenix will take on Valparaiso University in game 11 at 6:00 p.m. UDM's loss eliminated the Titans from the tournament.

Green Bay improved to 12-24 on the year while Detroit concluded the 2008 season with an 11-24 mark.

Phoenix starter Anna Bluemel picked up her second victory of the League championship. Bluemel worked 5.0 innings, allowed just two hits, struck out two and did not allow a run to earn her eighth victory of the year.

The Green Bay right-hander also earned her second shutout of the tournament. In Bluemel's two victories, she has limited her opponents to just six hits.

Detroit senior right-hander Kelli Short took the loss and concluded her collegiate career. Short worked just 1.1 innings and allowed three earned runs.

The Phoenix plated a run in every inning except the third frame. Green Bay scored one in the first, two in the second, four in fourth and one run in the fifth inning.

Green Bay senior Jenna Woepse, freshman Samantha Howe and senior Vanessa Lefan each collected a pair hits to pace the Phoenix offense.

Lefan also drove in her 12th and 13th RBIs of the year. Junior Mollie Kaebisch also drove in two runs as she hit a triple to right field in the fourth inning.

As a team, the Phoenix out-hit the Titans 9-2 and improved to 9-1 on the year when out-hitting its opponent. For the tournament, Green Bay is batting .325.

For complete coverage of the 2008 Horizon League Softball Championship check out the tournament homepage at www.horizonleague.org.