Box Score (Game 1)
Box Score (Game 2)
VERONA, Wis. – Facing the conference's top offensive team is tough enough, especially when the wind was blowing out at Ceniti Park. However, that is exactly what the Edgewood College softball team did on Thursday and pitcher Claire Blake held Dominican University in check in game one. However, the Stars still came back to take the first game 5-4 before exploding for an 8-1 victory in game two.
The Stars (22-11, 15-5 NAC) started the scoring right away in the first inning as they started game with three straight singles. The third single scored the first run and put runners on second and third with nobody out. However, Blake worked her way out of the jam as she struck out the next batter, then induced a pop out before striking out the last batter to end the threat.
Edgewood College (12-20, 9-11 NAC) bounced right back in the bottom of the frame as they tied the game at one. After back-to-back strike outs, Jessica Spitzer ripped a line drive home run over the left field fence to even the score.
After the Stars stranded a double in the top of the second inning, the Eagles took the lead in the home half. Rachel Elliott ripped her second home run of the season, this one to right center field and the Eagles took a 2-1 lead.
The Eagles extended that lead in the third inning on another Spitzer blast. After Emily Monson reached on dropped fly ball, Spitzer took an 0-2 pitch from Jori Cicale out of the yard down the left field line. With the home run Spitzer tied a school record with two home runs in one game, a feat that was accomplished four times by the Eagles last season. Spitzer now has hit four home runs the season.
Dominican came right back in the fourth inning with two runs of their own. They tallied both of their runs on a dropped pop-up to cut the deficit to one. The next batter singled to load the bases, but Blake escaped another jam as she got Carolyn Rogers to lineout to Pam Sommer in left field to end the threat.
Trailing by one in the sixth inning, Sarah Budz started a two-out rally for the Stars with a double to left center field. Kristen Look followed with a double of her own to score Budz and tie the game at four. Look then scored on a Rogers single to give Dominican a 5-4 lead.
The score remained the same when the Eagles came to bat in the seventh inning. Monson started a two-out rally with a single through the left side, and then Karmen Dorshorst reached on an infield single to bring Spitzer to the plate. After Cicale got Spitzer down 0-2 in the count, Spitzer fouled off six pitches before Cicale got her to foul out to the first baseman and give the Stars the 5-4 win.
Spitzer led the Eagle offense as she went 2-for-4 with those two bombs, three runs batted in and two runs scored. Colleen Joyce was the only other Eagle to record more than one hit as she went 2-for-3. Blake threw all seven innings for the Eagles and gave up five runs, only three of which were earned while striking out five Stars and walking just one.
In game two, the Stars jumped out early again, but this time they held the lead. Budz led off the game with a double to right center field and came into score on a bunt single by the next batter, Look. The Stars took a 2-0 lead when Look scored on sacrifice fly.
Edgewood College had an opportunity to score in the second inning as Elliott ripped a one-out single up the middle. Then after a foul out, Kristen Salvatore crushed a double down the left field line to put runners on second and third. However, the next batter grounded out to end the threat.
In the third inning, the Eagles threatened again as Blake ripped a leadoff single and Monson followed with a single to left field. After an out, Spitzer reached on a fielder's choice. Blake and Spitzer then moved to third and second, respectively on wild pitch. However, Emily Mahoney, the Stars' pitcher got out of the jam again as she got Joyce to ground out to end the inning.
Dominican then tacked on two runs in each of the final three innings, all on two-run home runs. First Rogers hit a two-run bomb in the fifth before pinch hitter Shelley Kurcz hit a two-run shot of her own in the sixth. Finally, Abbey Bullerdick pushed the Star lead to 8-0 in the seventh inning with a two-run homer down the left field line.
The Eagles did not give up as they got on the board in the seventh inning. Sommer started the inning with a double to right center before moving to third on sacrifice bunt. She then scored on a Blake two-out single to left field. After Monson reached on an error, Mahoney ended the game as she got a ground out from Dorshorst to give the Stars the 8-1 victory.
Blake paced the Eagle offense in game two as she went 2-for-3 and drove in the Eagles' only run. She also threw six and one-third innings, giving up all eight runs, only five earned. Just as she did in game one, she struck out five and walked only one Star.
The Eagles will next be in action on Saturday when they travel to Alverno College. First pitch is scheduled for 12:00 p.m. Edgewood College is currently tied with MSOE for sixth place in the Northern Athletics Conference and they have a chance to make the six-team conference tournament.
