Box Score (Game 1)
Box Score (Game 2)
DUBUQUE, Iowa – The Edgewood College softball team took a split with non-conference opponent Loras College on Thursday afternoon. After dropping game one 13-0 to the Duhawks, the Eagles bounced back nicely to take game two 2-1 and earn the split.
Loras (11-10) threatened to score in the second inning of game two as their first two hitters reached base. Nevertheless, pitcher Claire Blake worked out of the jam as she struck out the next batter. Then after inducing the next batter to pop out, she struck out the final batter to end the inning.
In the third inning, Edgewood College (8-10) took the lead when they tallied one run. With two outs, Emily Monson started a rally with a double to right field, and Karmen Dorshorst followed with an infield single. Monson then scored on an error to give the Eagles the 1-0 lead.
However, the Duhawks bounced right back and tied the game in the bottom of the inning with a two out run of their own.
The Eagles used another two out rally in the fifth inning to take the lead. Jessica Spitzer, who had her 16-game hit streak ended in game one, laced a double to left center to put a runner on second base with two outs. She scored when the next batter, Colleen Joyce ripped a single to the same left center field gap to give the Eagles the 2-1 lead.
From that point on, Blake only allowed two runners and sat the Duhawks down in order in the bottom of the seventh to give the Eagles the 2-1 victory. In the game, Blake gave up the one run on six hits while striking out two and walking nobody. Offensively it was Dorshorst and Monson that led the way as they each went 2-for-4 at the plate.
Game one was a different story for the Eagles as the Duhawks scored early and often. In the bottom of the first inning, Loras tallied three runs and the big blow was dealt by Sara Palczynski as she drilled a two-run home run to make the score 3-0. In the second the Duhawks tacked on eight more runs, with half of them coming on a Tracy Sullivan grand slam and the Duhawks opened up an 11-0 lead after two innings.
Loras pitcher, Kellie Klein kept the Eagle offense off balance all game long as she did not allow a hit until the top of the fifth inning when Joyce ripped a single up the middle to break up the no-hitter. That was the only hit the Eagles tallied all game, meaning that Spitzer's 16-game hitting streak to start the season came to an end. In five innings of work, Klein only allowed the one hit and struck out six Eagles.
The Duhawk offense tacked on two more runs it the fourth inning to make the final score 13-0.
Edgewood College will next be in action this weekend when they travel to the Chicago area to take on Northern Athletics Conference leading Benedictine University. First pitch is scheduled for 12:00 p.m. on Saturday.
