Box Score (Game 1)
Box Score (Game 2)
VERONA, Wis. – A dramatic 3-2 victory in game one and an 11-3 blowout in game two have the Eagles in good position to control their fate for that sixth and final berth into the Northern Athletics Conference Tournament which begins on Thursday. The Eagles' sweep of Rockford on Senior Day on Monday didn't come easy as they overcame a deficit in each one.
The Eagles (17-17, 11-9 NAC) trailed 2-1 heading into the bottom of the seventh inning in game one with the middle of their lineup coming to bat. Colleen Joyce drove a one out single to right field prior to one of Jamie Kurt's four doubles on the day to put runners on second and third. Kristen Salvatore walked to load the bases and then Rachel Elliott walked to bring in the tying run.
With the score even at 2-2, it was up to Stephanie Schafer, or was it? Rockford pitcher Aletha Cunningham didn't even give Schafer a chance as the first pitched skipped away from catcher Jackie Vensel and allowed Kurt to scamper home for the winning run to give the Eagles a big come-from-behind victory.
Rain began to fall in the final inning of game one and spilled over into game two. With the regular season in its final couple of days, both teams were out of options to postpone it again, so play continued. In fact, game two began no more than five minutes after game one ended and Rockford had put the difficult loss behind them rather quickly.
The Regents (15-21, 7-15 NAC) tallied two runs on three hits in the opening frame of game two and again put pressure on the Eagles to respond. They did, and in resounding fashion with five runs in the first. Senior Leslie Osman singled to lead off the attack followed by an Emily Monson walk and an error on a Joyce sacrifice bunt attempt to load the bases. Kurt drew a bases loaded walk to make the score 2-1 and then Salvatore drove in a run with a sacrifice fly to right field. Elliott capped off the first inning scoring barrage with a 3-run homer, her second of the season.
The Eagles tacked on three more runs in the second inning highlighted by Salvatore's 2-RBI single to drive in the senior Kurt as well as Joyce. They took an 8-3 lead into the fifth inning. After senior Charli Metcalf drove in a run on a fielder's choice, Alexandra Baltazar stepped up to the plate. In a perfect ending to a sweep they needed to have, Baltazar sent a high drive deep into the night in left center field and out for a 2-run home run and an 11-3 win by way of the mercy rule. It was her second home run of the season.
Senior Jenna Ryan pitched superbly and picked up two victories to move her record to 11-10. Momentum is in favor of Ryan and the Eagles as they head into the Chicagoland area for a rare “Quadrupleheader” at Concordia Chicago and Dominican University. First pitch vs. CUC is slated for 4:00 p.m. while an 8:00 p.m. start is scheduled for Dominican. The Eagles can control their own destiny for the final spot in the NAC tournament with a sweep of all four games.
