Lakers Sweep CCAC Conference Doubleheader From Cardinal Stritch

GLENDALE, Wis. – The Roosevelt University softball team swept a CCAC Conference doubleheader from Cardinal Stritch University, winning on the road by the scores of 7-3 and 7-2 on Thursday, April 6 at Maslowski Community Park.  With the sweep, the Lakers raised their conference record to 3-1 and overall record to 11-7 on the year.

In game one, both teams were held scoreless for the first two innings before the Lakers opened up a 4-0 lead with three runs in the third and a solo run in the fourth.  Emma Wokurka got things started with a lead-off walk and two stolen bases, including swiping home for a 1-0 lead.  Kirstin Fudge then reached on an error, allowing Scout Kram, who also reached on an error, to score the second run.  Athena Pomele-Pen followed with a base hit to drive in Emily Zuniga to close out the third inning. 

Eliza Belter led off the fourth inning with a double to right center and scored two batters later when Kram tripled to right center for a 4-0 advantage.  Meanwhile, the Lakers held the Wolves off the board for the first four innings behind starter Kate Sisson's strong performance, striking out six batters and allowing just one hit in three innings pitched.

Cardinal Stritch did cut the RU lead to 4-3 behind a three-run homer off of reliever Seren Horton in the fifth, but the junior shutdown the Wolves the rest of the way allowing just one more hit in the final three innings.  Roosevelt restored its four-run lead with a three-run seventh inning, capped off by RBI doubles from Pomele-Pen and Madison Sullivan.

Samantha Norman was outstanding in the circle of game two for the Lakers, pitching five scoreless runs behind seven strikeouts and one hit to raise her record to 6-1.  Offensively, the Lakers scored the first six runs of the game with two runs in the second inning on a Brynn Dvoracek's first homerun of the year and four runs in the sixth.

In the sixth inning, Zuniga and Fudge led off the inning with a base hit and walk respectively and both advanced an extra base on a passed ball.  Anaisa Lozada then singled through the left side to score Zuniga and Norman followed with a three-run homer, her first of the season. 

The Wolves pulled to within 6-2 in the bottom half of the inning behind a two-run homerun, but that would be the only runs of the game for the home team, while the Lakers added an insurance run in the seventh for the 7-2 final score.

Next up for the Lakers is a home CCAC Conference doubleheader versus Trinity Christian College on Tuesday, April 11.  Game one is scheduled to start at 3pm at The Ballpark at Rosemont in Rosemont, Ill.