Dvoracek's Big Hit Leads Lakers To Sweep Of Fighting Bees

DAVENPORT, Iowa – Brynn Dvoracek delivered an RBI single in the seventh inning to lift Roosevelt to a sweep of its Chicagoland Collegiate Athletic Conference doubleheader at St. Ambrose on Saturday in Davenport, Iowa.

Dvoracek's single plated Kirstin Fudge to cap off the Lakers' comeback in a 3-2 win over the Fighting Bees in the opener. In the second game, Roosevelt (19-13, 11-7 CCAC) jumped out to a 4-0 lead after the visiting half of the first inning then cruised to a 5-2 win over St. Ambrose. With the victories, Roosevelt now controls its own destiny in securing the fourth seed for the CCAC Tournament in early May.

Kate Sisson was in complete control in the circle early in the first game of the doubleheader with a perfect trip through the lineup on the first go around. St. Ambrose struck back with two runs on two hits in the fourth, though only one of those runs was earned. Sisson worked around a two-out double in the sixth but otherwise was able to keep the Fighting Bees in check, allowing just three hits to pick up her 32^nd career victory.

Roosevelt was able to scatter a few hits in the first four innings, and even put a runner on third base through some small ball. Yet it wasn't until the fifth that the Lakers were able to finally put a dent in the scoreboard thanks to another big hit from Dvoracek. Samantha Norman began the inning with a single then Dvoracek delivered with a double into the gap in left field to plate Norman. After a pitching change, Emma Wokurka moved Dvoracek over with a sacrifice bunt then Scout Kram sent a fly ball to left field that was deep enough to score Dvoracek.

In the seventh inning, Fudge led off with a single into right field, allowing Norman to sacrifice herself to advance the runner. Dvoracek then came through with her second run-scoring hit of the game, sending the ball into center field and allowing Fudge to run the 120 feet to score. Kram extended the inning with a single before she was barely beaten to the bag at second on a grounder to the second baseman.

There were not as many heroics needed in support of Norman in the second game, who entered the circle for the first time with a 4-0 lead. The first four hitters in the Roosevelt order and six of the first seven batters recorded a hit in the action-packed frame. Kram and Anaisa Lozada started off the train with back-to-back singles into center, allowing Athena Pomele-Pen to drive in the first run with a third single. Bailee Reynolds cleared the bases with her single then Norman helped her own cause by driving in Reynolds with another single. Dvoracek followed with a single of her own then both her and Norman moved up on a wild pitch, but were stranded there.

Norman allowed a leadoff triple to St. Ambrose and later gave up a sacrifice fly but otherwise escaped the first inning unscathed. The junior then stranded the bases loaded in the second before throwing perfect innings in the third and fourth. Norman finished the game with seven strikeouts and allowed just three hits, moving her into second place all-time on the single-season strikeout list with 87 punchouts this season.

The pitcher again helped herself in the third inning with a leadoff double into left field, and later scored on Emily Zuniga's RBI groundout. The Lakers kept pushing for more runs as well, with Lozada being thrown out at the plate for the final out in the fourth inning and finishing with 15 hits total in the game. A pair of errors from Lozada allowed the Fighting Bees to score a run in the seventh, but Norman struck out one and induced a game-ending double play to seal her ninth win of the season.

Despite her errors, Lozada was 4 for 4 in the second game while Kram finished 3 for 4 with both scoring one run. Reynolds was 2 for 4 with the two RBIs while Norman added two hits and an RBI at the plate in addition to her triumphs in the circle.

Roosevelt hosts Cornerstone in a non-conference doubleheader Tuesday at the Parkway Bank Sports Complex starting at 2 p.m. The Lakers will honor their four seniors – Eliza Belter, Seren Horton, Fudge and Sisson – prior to first pitch against the Golden Eagles.