Lakers Climb Into Shared CCAC Lead After Sweeping IU South Bend

ROSEMONT, Ill. – Roosevelt climbed into a share of the lead in the Chicagoland Collegiate Athletic Conference with a sweep of Indiana South Bend on Friday at the Parkway Bank Sports Complex in Rosemont.

The Lakers (14-16, 9-3 CCAC) used a strong outing from Samantha Norman in the circle and some timely hitting to claim the opener 5-2. In the second game, Roosevelt's bats came alive with 11 runs on 12 hits in an 11-7 win over the Titans.

It made complete sense that on Senior Day, it would be the veterans who took control of the game for the Lakers. Bailee Reynolds powered Roosevelt to an early lead with a bloop single into left field to score Ella Dvoracek in the first inning. In the second inning, Brynn Dvoracek and Emily Zuniga had back-to-back singles to lead off the frame. Caitlin Williams drove in the first run with an RBI groundout then Ella Dvoracek found the gap up the middle to score a second run.

An error at first base allowed the Lakers to tack on a fourth run on Zuniga's sacrifice bunt attempt in the fourth. Brynn Dvoracek then lined a triple into the gap in left centerfield to score Anaisa Lozada from first in the fifth inning.

For much of the game, Norman weaved her way in and out of trouble while keeping the Titans off the board. She walked the first two batters she faced in the game but induced a double play and caught a batter looking at strike three to escape. Norman stranded runners on second and third in the third inning then erased a pair of runners with an inning-ending double play in the fourth.

Norman nearly escaped the sixth inning as well after a leadoff double and wild pitch put a runner on third with no outs. However, a line drive that snuck inside third base plated Indiana South Bend's only two runs of the game. Norman still finished with seven strikeouts while allowing just the two runs to earn her 10^th win of the season.

The second game felt like it was going to be a dominant effort from the Lakers after they scored three runs in the first inning. Lozada nearly cleared the bases with a double over the right fielder's head as Reynolds was held up at third. Brynn Dvoracek then lined a single up the middle the score Reynolds, but Lozada was thrown out trying to add another run.

After the Titans cut the Lakers' lead to 3-2 in the top of the fourth, Roosevelt added an insurance marker in the bottom of the frame. Lozada was left standing at third base with two outs after a leadoff double, and Isabella Walton came up with a clutch hit through the left side to add onto the lead. The Lakers then added three more runs in the fifth inning in a creative fashion.

Athena Pomele-Pen bunted up the first-base line and reached base safely, but a wild throw from the first baseman allowed Ella Dvoracek to score from second. Kram was stationed at third after that plate appearance, and she scored when Pomele-Pen stole second base and the Titans catcher misfired on the throw to second. Pomele-Pen rounded out the scoring in the frame when she raced home on Brynn Dvoracek's sacrifice bunt.

The 7-2 lead felt very safe with how owerpowering Kate Sisson was in the circle. The hard-throwing right hander had four of her five strikeouts in the first five innings, and rarely had her pitches hit hard. However, Indiana South Bend scored five runs in the top of the sixth to tie the game as a few 3-2 pitches close to the zone went against Sisson and led to walks.

Her teammates, though, picked her right back up in the bottom of the sixth with a four-run explosion that earned Sisson her fourth win of the season. An error and a pair of infield singles loaded the bases for Pomele-Pen to smash a double down the right-field line, scoring two runs. Lozada then reached on an error from the shortstop with the poor throw bouncing far enough away for two more runs to cross home plate.

In between the two games, Roosevelt honored its eight-player senior class, which did not include a special acknowledgement for Sisson, who participated in last year's Senior Day festivities. All seven healthy players made an appearance in both games for the Lakers with Norman coming on to pitch the seventh in the second game.

Those honored in addition to Sisson were outfielders Scout Kram and Emma Wokurka, catchers Hailey Denton and Bailee Reynolds, designated hitters Madison Sullivan and Isabella Walton, shortstop Anaisa Lozada, and pitcher Samantha Norman, who has both pitched and played the outfield during her career at Roosevelt.

Roosevelt's hold on the top of the CCAC will be challenged Wednesday with a doubleheader against co-leader St. Francis in Joliet starting at 3 p.m.