VERONA, Wis. – Behind a pair of two-run home runs from Jordan Anderson and Elizabeth Soter, the Edgewood College softball team defeated Rockford in game one, 8-5, for their first conference win of the year. Despite a two-run shot from Grace Delleman, the Eagles dropped game two to the Regents, 6-2, and split the season series for the first time since 2013.
Tied 2-2 in the bottom of the third, Anderson slugged her team-leading, fourth home run of the year to put the Eagles (3-21, 1-9 NACC) up 4-2. Soter followed an ensuing Hannah Parisi double with a two-run bomb over left center field, her first career home run, to extend an Eagle lead they wouldn't relinquish.
Soter later added an RBI single in the fourth to cap the best game of her young career. She set career-highs in a perfect 3-for-3 performance at the plate to go with two runs and three RBI. Behind Soter and Anderson, the Eagles posted a season-high five extra-base hits to overcome an Eagle defense that committed four errors.
Eagle starter Shannon Whitmus (3-16) allowed five runs (two earned) and seven hits and struck out six to help the Eagles snap an 11-game skid.
The Regents (4-20, 1-9 NACC) were led by cleanup hitter Caitlin Eiben's two hits and three RBI.
It was all Delleman in the night cap as the sophomore followed a Whitmus double with her second four-bagger of the year in the bottom of the third in a 6-2 defeat. It wasn't enough to overcome Rockford's four unearned runs off four Eagle errors.
Her go-ahead, two-run blast gave the Eagles a 2-1 advantage that was overcome by five unanswered runs by the Regents spanning the fifth and sixth frames. The Regents snapped an 11-game skid of their own after scoring three unearned runs in the sixth, all with two outs.
Whitmus took the loss in her 14th complete game of the year after surrendering six runs (two earned) and eight hits scattered over seven innings.
Starting pitcher Stefaney Kenworthy and shortstop Lisa Blakeley-Snyder added two hits apiece for a Rockford offense that generated eight hits on the game.
Both teams won their first conference game and each produced the most runs in any of their NACC doubleheaders this season. The pair split the season series after the Eagles had swept Rockford in each of the last two years.
The Eagles hit the road to face MSOE on Saturday, April 15, are off on Sunday due to the Easter holiday, and resume play on Monday, April 17 at Dominican.
