Softball Scores 16 Runs in Sweep of Lakeland

ROCKFORD, Ill. – The Rockford College offense finally broke out of its slump on Saturday when they hosted the Lakeland College Muskies.  After scoring just 11 runs in their previous 8 games combined, the Regents scored 16 runs on Saturday in route to the team’s first sweep of a Northern Athletics Conference doubleheader this season.   The victories marked the team’s fourth consecutive win over Lakeland.

Game one got off to a rocky start as the Regents fell behind 5-0 after just two and a half innings of play.  The ladies would continue to battle as they have done all year long and put together a huge third inning.  Alexis Ford (Cortland, Ill./DeKalb) would start the 6-run rally off with a single into center field.  Senior Bridget Kennedy (Sugar Grove, Ill./Aurora Christian) moved Ford over to third base with a single into left field.  Then junior transfer Jossilyn Jones (Rockford, Ill./Guilford) got the Regents on the board with a two-run double cutting the Muskie lead to 6-2.  One batter later Rockford would score another run when Nicole Lawler (Pearl City, Ill./Pearl City) singled into the outfield.  After scoring their fourth run on an error, Jessica Bjerning (Wauconda, Ill./Mundelein) would tie the game at 5-5 on a hard hit RBI single off the pitcher.  Ford, who started the inning off with a single, collected her second single of the inning and drove in the final run in the bottom of the third giving Rockford a 6-5 lead.  Rockford would add two insurance runs in the bottom of the 6^th inning courtesy of a Lakeland error to give themself a three run lead.  Lakeland would give the Regents a scare in the top of the 7^th inning loading the bases with 2 outs.  However, Rockford would get the final batter of the game to ground out to second preserving the 8-5 win.

Pitcher Eryn Dougherty (Ottawa, Ill./Marquette) picked up her fourth win of the season throwing a complete game and allowing 5 runs, only 4 of which were earned.  The junior struck out two batters in route to her fourth complete game of the season in just six starts.    

Rockford did not waste any time in game two scoring seven runs in the bottom of the first inning.  The first seven hitters of the game reached base safely highlighted with hits by Kennedy, Lawler, Jennifer Zulkanycz (Norco, Calif./Norco), and Jessica Segalla (Loves Park, Ill./Harlem).  Junior shortstop Alexis Ford would drive in 2 runs later in the inning on a single into the outfield giving the Regents a 7-1 lead after just one inning of play.  The ladies would manufacture a run in the second making it an 8-1 ballgame.  Jones led off the inning with a single and would eventually work her way over to third base.  Zulkanycz would then drive in what would turn out to be a very important run on an RBI groundout to the shortstop.  The Muskies would score 5 runs in the top third inning on just 4 hits but take advantage of 2 Rockford errors to trim the lead down to only 2 runs.  Lakeland would tack on another run in the top of the fifth inning cutting the Rockford 7-run lead down to just a single run.  Freshman pitcher Sarah Moritz (Heyworth, Ill./Heyworth) would stifle the Muskies over her final two innings of work and preserve the sweep and 8-7 win.  Moritz came into the game in relief in the middle of the third inning to try and stop the Lakeland rally, and she did just that.  The freshman was sensational on the mound throwing 4.1 innings while allowing just 1 run on only 1 hit.  Moritz struck out 3 batters on her way to her fourth win of the season.

It was the Regents offense that led them to their sweep on Saturday.  Bridget Kennedy was 4-7 with 2 runs scored.  Her four hits raised her average to .329 on the season.  Jossilyn Jones recorded a double with 2 RBI and 3 runs scored.  Jones leads the team in nearly every statistical category including: batting average (.374), runs scored (16), hits (34), doubles (14), total bases (50), slugging percentage (.549), walks (12) and on-base percentage (.447).  Nicole Lawler went 3-7 with an RBI and a run scored.  Catcher Jessica Segalla was 4-6 with an RBI and four runs scored.  Jennifer Zulkanycz went 3-6 with 2 RBI and 3 runs scored in the doubleheader.  Junior Alexis Ford was 4-6 with 3 RBI.  Ford now leads the team with 15 runs batted in this season.

The softball team will host Marian University on Sunday, April 22^nd at 12:00 p.m.  The doubleheader will also be senior day for the Regents as they honor their 5 seniors in-between games.