ROCKFORD, Ill.- The Rockford University softball team could not have played their final home games of the season better than they did Saturday afternoon. It was a special day for the Regents as two seniors celebrated their final home games. In addition, the Regents played spoilers to the Marian University Sabres, who needed a split for a chance to make the Northern Athletics Collegiate Conference. Rockford played two great all-around games to sweep the Sabres out of the playoffs.
Game one was a back-and-forth battle with the Regents outlasting the Sabres. Both teams scored a run in the first inning. Jessica Bjerning (Wauconda, Ill./Mundelein) singled to start the game for Rockford and later came around on a double by Stefany Kenworthy (Veedersburg, Ind./Fountain Central). Marian scratched across a run in the third inning. The Regents came back to take the lead in the bottom of the fourth inning with two runs.
Lynn Blakeley-Snyder (Rockford, Ill./Winnebago) singled with one-out to start the inning. With two-outs Bjerning singled to put two on. Sarah Moritz (Heyworth, Ill./Heyworth) followed her with a single to right to score one run with Bjerning coming around on a fielding error for the second run. Marian would strike back again with a two-run triple in the top of the fifth-inning.
Rockford did not quit and answered Marian's two runs with its own two runs in the bottom-half of the inning. Brittany Bura (Chicago, Ill./Trinity) started the inning with a single. Maranda Walker (Rockford, Ill./Boylan) followed by laying down a sacrifice bunt and then reached on a throwing error. Both runners moved into scoring position on the throwing error. Megan Dougherty (Ottawa, Ill./Marquette) grounded out to score the first run of the inning and Lisa Blakeley-Snyder (Rockford, Ill./Winnebago) hit a sacrifice fly next to score the second run.
In the bottom of the sixth inning Ali Moore (Mascoutah, Ill./Mascoutah) singled to start the inning and eventually came around to score on Kenworthy's fielder's choice. Bura set Marian down in order in the seventh to end the game. She would go the distance to earn her third win and six complete game of the season. Bura did not walk a batter and struck out three in the winning effort.
Game two was a closer battle with Rockford leading the entire way. Mercedes Boykin (Belvidere, Ill./North) singled with one-out in the bottom of the third and came around on a double by Bjerning. Bjerning continued to her amazing day with a three-run double with two-outs in the bottom of the fourth-inning. Dougherty, Lisa Blakeley-Snyder, and Boykin all scored on the play.
Moritz was on the mound for Rockford and cruised through the first four innings. She did not allow a run until the top of the fifth-inning. She went the distance to earn his six win on the season and her 14 complete-game. She only gave up one unearned run on five hits, four walks, while striking out three batters. Bjerning went five-for-eight on the day with two runs and four RBI.
