Fighting Saints Sweep Lakers In CCAC Series

JOLIET, Ill. – Roosevelt's hold atop the Chicagoland Collegiate Athletic Conference slipped away with a doubleheader sweep at the hands of St. Francis on Wednesday in Joliet.

The Fighting Saints walked off the Lakers 2-1 in the opening game before defeating Roosevelt 7-3 in the second contest. The two losses mean Roosevelt (14-18, 9-5 CCAC) are no longer in the running for the CCAC regular-season crown and can finish at best in second place in the league.

The Lakers had the best chances to score early in the first game, but couldn't open the scoring until the fourth inning. Brynn Dvoracek led off the frame with a solo homer and finished the first game 2 for 2 with a second-inning double and a sixth-inning walk. The lead was nearly good enough for Samantha Norman, who struck out six in the first four innings to shut down the Fighting Saints' lineup.

St. Francis did tie the game with a home run in the fifth inning, and nearly took the lead in the sixth inning with runners on second and third with one away. However, Norman induced a pop fly in foul territory for the second out before fielding a comebacker to keep the game tied entering the final frame. Norman picked up her seventh strikeout of the game in the seventh inning before St. Francis pushed across the winning run.

Roosevelt didn't have much time to get settled in the second game as St. Francis scored two runs before the Lakers even recorded an out in the field. The Fighting Saints led 4-0 after that first inning and the advantage ballooned to 6-1 after the second. The Lakers' sole run came courtesy of an Emily Zuniga RBI single up the middle to score Anaisa Lozada, who started the second inning with a walk.

Zuniga later scored in the fifth inning to cut the deficit to 7-2 after reaching originally on a fielder's choice. Ella Dvoracek then added the final run of the game for the Lakers in the seventh with a single that plated her sister, Brynn.

The Lakers will close out the CCAC portion of their schedule Saturday at Calumet St. Joseph with a doubleheader starting at noon.