Lakers Overwhelm Trojans For Critical CCAC Sweep

ROSEMONT, Ill. – Some late-inning heroics Friday helped Roosevelt earn a vital sweep of Trinity International in a Chicagoland Collegiate Athletic Conference doubleheader at Parkway Sports Bank Complex.

The Lakers (17-13, 9-7 CCAC) scored three runs in the bottom of the seventh to force extra innings in the first game then walked off with a 7-6 win. There were no such issues in the second game of the doubleheader as the Lakers cruised to a 10-0 win over the Trojans in five innings.

Trinity International struck early with three runs off Samantha Norman in the top of the first to stun the Lakers. Norman settled down after allowing those three runs on four hits and didn't give up another run until the sixth inning when she was charged with a run after leaving the game after taking a comebacker off her leg. Only two of the four runs against her were earned and Norman struck out seven Trojans to leave herself just two punchouts shy of tying for the second-most strikeouts in a season in program history.

Roosevelt's offense finally came alive in the bottom of the third inning with Emma Wokurka doing damage as the inning's leadoff hitter. The outfielder went 2 for 2 with two walks and three runs scored in the opener, and she led off the frame in all three innings in which the Lakers scored in that first game. The sophomore from Schaumburg singled the start the third inning then moved up 60 feet on an infield single from Emily Zuniga.

A throwing error from the Trinity International catcher allowed Wokurka to score after stealing third base to put the Lakers on the board. A second error from the Trojans kept the inning alive for Anaisa Lozada, who slammed a triple into right field to drive in two runs and tie the game. Lozada also had a strong game finishing 3 for 4 with four RBIs in the victory.

The Lakers ran into a lot of trouble in the sixth inning after having to replace Norman in the circle. Seren Horton came on in relief and the Trojans scored three runs on four hits and were aided by an error to reclaim the lead. It was a quiet sixth for Roosevelt and Kate Sisson came on to throw a perfect seventh and put the pressure squarely back on the Roosevelt bats.

Wokurka began the bottom of the seventh with an infield single before a pair of outs left the Lakers an out away from defeat. Kirstin Fudge was hit by a pitch then Athena Pomele-Pen shot a single into center field to score Wokurka. A critical error on the throw to try and nab Wokurka at the plate allowed Fudge and Pomele-Pen to advance an extra base. That proved costly when Lozada shot a single up the middle and scored both of them before being thrown out trying to stretch the hit into a double.

Sisson made sure the Trojans weren't going to make any more noise with two more perfect innings. The senior also received her first career plate appearance after Norman's turn in the lineup came up again and she hit a pop fly to the shortstop. In the bottom of the ninth, Wokurka walked then sped her way to third on a sacrifice bunt from Scout Kram. Zuniga then provided the climactic walkoff with a grounder to first that allowed Wokurka to score moments after the Trojans first baseman stepped on the bag at first.

In the second game, Sisson was not as dominant in the circle by surrendering six hits, but she was just as effective in keeping Trinity International off the scoreboard. The senior added four more strikeouts to her total, giving her seven over the course of her seven innings while earning the victory in both games.

Roosevelt scored three times in the first inning with Pomele-Pen driving in Kram after a leadoff walk with a triple into the gap in left center field. Then Bailee Reynolds hit a double down the left-field line to plate Pomele-Pen and Fudge, who reached after being hit by a pitch. An unlucky double play erased the Lakers' hopes in the second, but they bounced back with a Reynolds sacrifice fly to score a run in the third.

The real offensive explosion happened in the fourth inning with Wokurka starting the part with a one-out walk. Kram walked then Zuniga reached on an infield single where the Trojans didn't have anyone covering first base. Wokurka scored amidst the confusion on the play in an inning that would only get stranger.

Pomele-Pen hit what could have been a tailor-made double play ball, but the Trojans second baseman overthrew the first baseman allowing the sophomore to reach safely and advance to second. Kram and Zuniga both scored on the play as well to leave the Lakers one run away from the eight-run lead required for a run-rule victory after five innings. That run came courtesy of the next batter as Fudge ripped a single up the middle and advanced on the throw home. Trinity Kelly added a run-scoring single during the two-out rally before Brynn Dvoracek brought her home with a triple to center field.  

Roosevelt had 10 hits to match its 10 runs led by two hits each for Lozada and Pomele-Pen. The latter also scored three times with a pair of RBIs while Reynolds drove in three runs with her double as her only official at-bat of the game.

The Lakers are right back on the diamond Saturday at 1 p.m. against St. Ambrose in Davenport, Iowa in a critical doubleheader for CCAC Tournament seeding.