Box Score - Game 1
Box Score - Game 2
VERONA, Wis. – The Edgewood College softball team came close to stealing a game from the league's top team, but not close enough as Aurora University completed the doubleheader sweep, winning 10-0, 5-1 in a Northern Athletics Conference matchup at Ceniti Park in Verona on Wednesday.
Game one was all Anna Snyder and the Spartans. Snyder, who just picked up her third NAC pitcher of the week award of the season and second in a row this past week, struck out 10 Eagles while allowing only two hits in five innings. The two hits allowed were mere singles by Jamie Kurt and Emily Monson. Jenna Ryan suffered the loss to fall to 6-8 on the year, but struck out eight Spartans to her credit.
Edgewood College (10-14, 5-7 NAC) struck first in game two thanks to a Colleen Joyce one-out RBI double in the first inning. It was set up by Stephanie Schaefer's bunt single to lead off the game followed by a Monson sacrifice to move her over. The Eagles would struggle to get much production from then on, but did manage to escape out of several jams throughout the ball game.
Aurora (18-3, 11-0 NAC) produced a couple of base runners right off the bat with a double and a bunt single from the first two batters of the game. It seemed as if the Spartans were well on their way to another blowout, but the trusty Joyce at the hot corner held the runner at third and forced out another heading to second for the first out. A couple of fly outs later and pitcher Brittany Andrews got the Eagles out of the jam.
After a similar scenario to get out of another mess in the second inning, a double play started by shortstop Kayla Rackow to second baseman Alexandra Baltazar to Kurt at first ended another threat in the third inning. The score would remain 1-0 in the Eagles' favor until the fourth when the Spartans got three runs on just two hits and couple errors by the home team. Edgewood College struggled to recover, but mounted a mini threat in the last inning.
With one out, Schafer reached on an error by the second basemen and then Monson singled up the middle. Kurt flied out to right after just getting under a fastball in her zone and then Joyce singled up the middle to load the bases. Rachel Elliott stepped to the plate having made great contact all day, but left her last effort a bit short as she flied out to the left fielder to end the game.
The Eagles will have a tough test tomorrow afternoon when they face WIAC opponent UW-Stevens Point on the road. First pitch is set for 3:00 p.m.
