LISLE, Ill. – Benedictine's pitching proved to be too much on Saturday afternoon at the Benedictine Sports Complex, as the Eagles were shut out twice to drop to 8-12 overall and 2-4 in the NACC. Benedictine won 8-0 in six innings in game one and came out on top 4-0 in the later game.
In game one, Benedictine's Holly Haberkorn kept Edgewood College's lineup guessing throughout the game. She surrendered an infield single to Jackie Diesch to lead off the game and allowed a Rachel DeJongh single up the middle in the second.
After hitting Grace Delleman with a pitch two batters after DeJongh's single, Haberkorn retired 11-straight batters before walking Diesch to lead off the sixth. Kylie Clark then reached on a fielder's choice later in the sixth and moved up to second one batter later on an error by Benedictine's third baseman.
Benedictine scored a pair in the second, one in the fourth, four in the fifth and another in the sixth on a walk-off single to put them up eight runs.
Edgewood College only had two baserunners reach second in the game. They were also hurt defensively with five errors. DeJongh started in the circle and threw five innings, allowing just two earned runs and five hits. Haberkorn struck out two in the shutout.
The Eagles were only outhit 6-5 against Benedictine in the second game and threatened on multiple occasions. Diesch doubled to lead off the game but was stranded at third when the inning ended. Edgewood College and Benedictine both went down 1-2-3 in their next trips to the plate before Benedictine put one on the board in the bottom of the second thanks to three hits.
Benedictine extended that lead with three runs on just one hit in the third. Edgewood College had two errors in the frame to allow the host to grab the comfortable lead.
Sabrina Maicke doubled to lead off the fourth but was tagged out at third on a fielder's choice off the bat of DeJongh. Another fielder's choice put pinch runner Cassandra Anderson on third before a flyout ended the threat.
After a quiet fifth, Edgewood College put together a two-out rally in the sixth thanks to singles from Jordan Anderson and DeJongh but couldn't push one across. Courtney Leuzinger singled in the seventh but the Eagles were held scoreless again.
Shannon Whitmus pitched for Edgewood College in the 4-0 loss and allowed only one earned run and six hits.
The Eagles head to Aurora, Ill., on Sunday, April 10 for a noon doubleheader against the Spartans. The games will be played at the Stuart Sports Complex.
