CAPE CORAL, Fla. - The Rockford University softball team lost two tough one-run games on Monday afternoon. The Regents opened against the North Park University Vikings dropping a slugfest 12-11. Rockford then played the Eastern Nazarene College Lions and lost in extra innings by an 8-7 final.
Rockford got off to a slow start in the opener against North Park digging themselves into a 9-0 hole through three and a half innings. The Regents defense struggled in its support of the pitching staff committing 8 errors during the game leading to 7 unearned runs.
Despite the early struggles, Rockford never gave up and continued to fight and claw its way back into the game. Following a scoreless first three innings, the Regents offense finally broke though in the fourth. After Rockford began the inning by loading the bases with two walks and an error, Megan Dougherty (Ottawa, Ill./Marquette) drove in two runs on single to center field. Rockford continued to cut into the lead scoring two more runs courtesy of a walk and an error to make it a 9-4 game.
North Park would answer right back in the top of the fifth inning with three more runs before the Regents responded with 2 runs in the bottom half. Senior Jessica Bjerning (Wauconda, Ill./Mundelein) got the inning started taking a 3-1 pitch and lacing it through the right side of the infield for a one-out single. Three batters later, Stefaney Kenworthy (Veedersburg, Ind./Fountain Central) knocked in Bjerning with a single to left field. Brittany Bura (Chicago, Ill./Trinity) drove in the final run of the inning with an RBI single cutting the North Park lead down to 12-6.
The Regents continued to chip away at the lead scoring three more times in the sixth inning. With two outs and the bases loaded it was once again Megan Dougherty who delivered the bit hit when she singled through the left side of the infield driving in two more runs. Marah Erbe (Stillman Valley, Ill./Stillman Valley) then followed suit when she singled in the final run of the inning putting Rockford down just 3 runs heading into the seventh.
The seventh inning came down to the final batter as Rockford scored a couple more runs and had the tying run on third with two outs. Ali Moore (Mascoutah, Ill./Mascoutah) delivered the first run of the inning doubling in Bura to make it a 12-10 North Park lead. One batter later, Maranda Walker (Rockford, Ill./Boylan) followed with an RBI double of her own to pull Rockford within one run. Walker than advanced to third on a wild pitch to put the tying run just 60 feet away. However, that's where the rally would end as the Regents stuck out to end the game and fell by a final of 12-11.
The Rockford offense was extremely impressive pounding out 13 hits and 11 runs both of which were season highs.
Following the tough loss to North Park, the Regents got right back on the field to play Eastern Nazarene. Although Rockford did not dig itself an early hole to climb out of, the end result was similar as the Regents lost 8-7 to the Lions in 9 innings.
This time it was Rockford who got on the board first in the second inning with a pair of runs. Bura sparked the offense when she led of the inning with a single to right field. After two quick outs and a pair of walks, the Regents had the bases loaded. Senior Jessica Bjerning came up in the clutch again driving in two runs to give her team a 2-0 advantage. However, the lead would not last long as the Lions answered with 2 runs of their own in the bottom half of the inning to knot the game at 2-2 after 2 innings.
Rockford regained the lead the very next inning off a couple of clutch hits. Stefaney Kenworthy doubled to deep left field and then was driven in by a Lisa Blakeley-Snyder (Rockford, Ill./Winnebago) RBI single to put the Regents back on top 3-2. The score would remain that way until the bottom of the fifth when Eastern Nazarene tied the game at three.
The Regents and Lions seemed to be unable to pull away from each other as each time Rockford scored, Eastern Nazarene would answer in the bottom of the inning with a run of their own. The two schools traded runs in the 7th and 8th each scoring one run a piece in both innings.
Ultimately the 9th inning would be the final and deciding inning. Stefaney Kenworthy drove in the first run of the inning off an RBI double to left field. Two batters later, Ali Moore followed with a double of her own giving the Regents a 7-5 lead. However, Rockford was unable to drive in Moore as she was left on third base, it was the 11th runner the Regents stranded during the game. The bottom of the inning started off well for Rockford as the Regents got two of the first three runners out and seemed to be in a good position to win the game. However, Eastern Nazarene strung together back-to-back hits scoring three runs and stealing an 8-7 win.
Sarah Moritz (Heyworth, Ill./Heyworth) threw her first complete game of the season. Moritz tossed 8.2 innings and struck out 4 while walking 3. Moritz surrendered all 8 runs but only 3 of them were earned runs.
The softball team returns to the field on Tuesday for another doubleheader. The Regents begin their day at 9:00 AM against St. Mary's and finish at 11:00 AM against Minnesota Morris.
