Bats Go Quiet In RU's Season-Ending Loss Against St. Francis

CROWN POINT, Ind. – Roosevelt's season came to an end Saturday with a 4-0 loss in an elimination game against St. Francis at the Chicagoland Collegiate Athletic Conference Tournament in Crown Point, Ind.

It was a tough day for the Lakers (17-22) offense, which managed just three hits in the loss, but still found ways to advance people into scoring position. Roosevelt left five runners on base in the game, but four of them were in scoring position.

In the second inning, Anaisa Lozada hit a one-out double to put herself in position to potentially give Roosevelt an early lead. The Lakers had a golden chance to tie the game in the fourth inning when Scout Kram and Athena Pomele-Pen hit back-to-back singles to lead off the frame. Bailee Reynolds expertly advanced them with a sacrifice bunt, but the Lakers couldn't find that hit to score the runners.

Roosevelt put up a fight in the seventh inning after Reynolds was hit by a pitch and Lozada walked, but three straight flyouts ended the game.

Samantha Norman finished her herculean run through the conference tournament by allowing four runs on eight hits in another complete-game effort. The senior finished with three strikeouts in the game, falling just shy of tying the program record for strikeouts in a season. In three appearances across the tournament, Norman allowed just seven runs on 21 hits in 23 2/3 innings with 14 strikeouts to just two walks.

The Lakers will say goodbye to an impactful senior class that includes both Norman and fellow pitcher Kate Sisson. Also playing their final games for Roosevelt were Reynolds, who started all 39 games this season at catcher, and Lozada, who made more than 150 appearances in her Lakers career.

Everyone else is expected to return for the Lakers' debut as an NCAA Division II program when Roosevelt enters the Great Lakes Intercollegiate Athletic Conference next season.