ROCKFORD, Ill. – With the season winding down, the Edgewood College softball team needs every win they can to make it to the Northern Athletics Conference Tournament. The Eagles needed eight innings to win game one against Rockford College 4-3, but fell in the bottom of the seventh in game two 2-1.

Trailing 3-1 heading into the seventh, Edgewood College mounted a rally to extend the game. Jessica Spitzer led off with a single, but Rockford College forced two quick outs. Despite the halt, the Eagles responded as Dylan Bahrke singled and Rachel DeJongh walked to load the bases. Alyssa Schulting then reached on a fielder's choice as an error by the Regent's shortstop allowed all runners to be safe. Both Bahrke and Diesch scored on the play to tie the game at 3-3.

After Charlie Leikness worked a clean seventh, the Eagles put the game away in the eighth. Carlene DeCoster ripped a 1-0 pitch down the left field line for a double and Katie Landon followed with a bun single to third base. Spitzer hit a sacrifice fly to plate the go-ahead run and Edgewood College jumped out to a 4-3 advantage. In the bottom half of the inning, Rockford got a hit, but Leikness forced a groundout and fly out to end the game.

Late-inning dramatics continued in game two as the Eagles again entered the seventh in a hole. Trailing by a run, Jackie Diesch crushed a one-out triple to left field. Schulting then singled in Diesch, but the half-inning ended before Edgewood College could score any more.

The Eagles were fortunate to tie the game, but needed to sit down the Regents in order to advance to a second extra inning contest. Karlie Klossner forced a fly out, but Jessica Bjerning singled to keep Rockford's inning alive. Leadoff hitter Jossilyn Jones then took the second pitch she saw and pounded a walk-off triple to score Bjerning and send Edgewood College home with a split.

Taylor Buchanan got the start in right field for both games and made the most of her opportunity with a hit in each contest. Leikness earned her fourth win of the season after scattering seven hits in a complete game. The junior struck out five batters while allowing only one earned run.

Edgewood College will face Concordia University Chicago in their final doubleheader of the regular season. The Eagles are a game and a half behind Wisconsin Lutheran for the final postseason spot. Edgewood College needs at least one win to keep their hopes alive and then will play the waiting game as the Warriors play Concordia Wisconsin in a two-game set on Sunday followed by a doubleheader against Marian University on Monday.