MILWAUKEE, Wis. - The Regents softball team hit the road on Friday for its final NACC doubleheader of the season when the ladies traveled to play the Wisconsin Lutheran College Warriors. The two schools split their games last season with the Warriors winning game one 11-3 and the Regents rebounding to win the second game 5-0. However this year Rockford was not as fortunate as the Regents were swept by the Warriors dropping both games by finals of 8-4 and 5-4.
After surrendering a pair of runs in the bottom of the first inning of game one, Rockford bounced back in the top of the third inning with two runs of its own to tie the game. Lisa Blakeley-Snyder (Rockford, Ill./Winnebago) got the inning started on the right foot with infield single and later advanced to second base on passed. Senior Jessica Bjerning (Wauconda, Ill./Mundelein) then tied the game with a two-run home run over the left field fence; her second home run of the season.
The two teams would not stay tied for long as the Warriors scored in each of the next four innings. Wisconsin Lutheran regained the lead in the bottom of the third inning with a single run and then extended its lead to 8-2 by scoring two runs in the fourth and fifth innings to go along with another single run in the sixth inning.
Despite the 8-2 deficit, the Regents were able to mount a rally in the top of the seventh inning. Brittany Bura (Chicago, Ill./Trinity) and Maranda Walker (Rockford, Ill./Boylan) led off the inning with back-to-back doubles to trim one run off the Warrior lead. Two batters later, Lisa Blakeley-Snyder collected her second hit of the day as she drove in Walker on an RBI single to right center field. However that's where the rally would end as the Regents dropped game one to the Warriors by an 8-4 final.
Game two began in a similar fashion as the opener with the Warriors jumping out to an early lead. Wisconsin Lutheran scored in each of the first two innings to take a quick 3-0 advantage.
Following a scoreless third and fourth inning, Rockford got itself back into the game with a two-run fifth inning. Megan Dougherty (Ottawa, Ill./Marquette) jump-started the Rockford offense as she led off the inning with a single and then took advantage of a Warrior error to advance to second base. Lisa Blakeley-Snyder continued her hot hitting with her third hit of the day when she laced an RBI double into center field. Two batters later the Regents made it a one-run game as Lisa Blakeley-Snyder scored on a Mercedes Boykin (Belvidere, Ill./North) sacrifice fly.
Just as when it appeared as though Rockford was poised to take its first lead of the day, Wisconsin Lutheran answered Rockford's two-run top of the fifth inning with a two-run home run in the bottom of the fifth inning to regain a three-run lead.
Rockford would not go down without a fight however, as the Regents again rallied in the top of the sixth inning. Stefaney Kenworthy (Veedersburg, Ind./Fountain Central) and Maranda Walker each singled in the inning to give the Regents runners on second and third with two outs. Lisa Blakeley-Snyder once again came through in the clutch delivering her second double of the game and fourth hit of the game to score both Kenworthy and Walker to make it a 5-4 game. However, that is as close as Rockford would get as the next batter stuck out to end the inning, and then the Regents went down in order in the top of the seventh to end the game.
The softball team returns to the diamond on Saturday, April 26th at home against Marian University. The Regents will be honoring its two seniors in their final home games of the season in-between games of the doubleheader. First pitch of the doubleheader is set for 12:00 p.m.
