MONTGOMERY, Ill. - Rockford (23-16) scored six runs combined in the sixth and seventh innings to erase a 7-1 deficit, before eventually knocking off Benedictine 10-9 in ten innings. Emily Cox and Mikayla Seay crushed back-to-back home runs in the sixth. Cox then absolutely demolished a pitch over the scoreboard behind the right field wall, for a 3-run home run in the seventh. Rockford would tie it later in the inning on a passed ball and send the game into extras. Following two scoreless innings, Mikayla Seay hit what turned out to be her second game-winning home run in less than a week, this one a three-run shot, in the top of the tenth. Benedictine would score two runs in the home half of the inning and get the tying run to second, but the final batter lined out to Annaka Bartz, to give Rockford the win in its first ever NACC Tournament game. 

• Rockford was able to take an early 1-0 lead in the top of the first inning. Emily Cox got things started with a one out single back up the middle. After a foul out and a wild pitch moved her to second, Gretchen Schrubbe ripped an RBI double into left, scoring Cox, and giving the Regents a 1-0 advantage. 
• The Regents' lead was short lived though, as Taylor Skraba led off the Eagles' half of the inning with her NACC-leading 19th home run of the season. 
• After Rockford went down in order in the top of the second, the Eagles scored a pair of runs in the bottom of the inning to take their first lead of the game. Benedictine had just three hits but took advantage of two Rockford errors, to grab a 3-1 lead. 
• Benedictine would extend its lead with three more runs over the next two innings, two of which were unearned, to make it a 6-1 game. 
• The Eagles tacked on one more run off three hits in the bottom of the fifth, to take what seemed to be an insurmountable 7-1 advantage. 
• However, momentum began to swing in Rockford's favor in the sixth. 
• Emily Cox led off the inning with her fifth home run of the season, to pull Rockford back within five, at 7-2.
• Mikayla Seay followed with a home run of her own, her third of the year, to make it just a 7-3 game. 
• The Regents had an opportunity to cut further into the Benedictine lead, but unfortunately, left runners stranded on second and third to end the inning. 
• After Mikayla Seay retired the Eagles in order in the bottom of the sixth, Rockford had one final chance to tie the game.
• The Regents were able to get the first two batters aboard via an Eagle error and a fielder's choice. One batter later, Emily Cox cleared the bases with a mammoth 3-run home run over the right field wall, to make it a 7-6 game. 
• The Regents then put runners on first and second with just one out following a Mikayla Seay walk and a Breanna Collins single. Both runners would then tag on a fly ball to left, putting the tying run on third and the go-ahead run on second. Rockford then caught a break when Mikayla Seay scored on a passed ball to tie the game and send it to extras.
• Rockford had chances to score in both the eighth and ninth innings but came up empty each time.
• Fortunately, things were different in the tenth. Jessica Kearns led off the inning with a single and Annaka Bartz was hit by a pitch, to put runners on first and second with no one out. Two batters later, Mikayla Seay had perhaps the biggest hit in recent memory, when she belted a 3-run home run over the left field wall, to give her team a 10-7 lead. 
• However, things would get a little too close for comfort the bottom of the tenth. After a single to lead off the inning, Rockford was able to retire the next two batters. However, the Regents hit the ensuing batter to put runners on first and second with Taylor Skraba stepping up to the plate as the tying run. Skraba would then hit a double off the wall in center field, scoring both runners, and bringing the winning run to the plate. Fortunately, Seay was able to get the final hitter to line out to Annaka Bartz, to end the inning, and secure a thrilling 10-9 victory.   

• Emily Cox was 3-for-5 with 2 home runs, 4 RBIs, and 3 runs scored. Cox's two home runs tied the RU single-game home run record.
• Mikayla Seay went 3-for-5 with 2 home runs, 4 RBIs and 3 runs scored. Seay's two home runs tied the RU single game home run record.
• Gretchen Schrubbe goes 2-for-5 with a double and an RBI.
• Jessica Kearns finishes 2-for-3 with a triple and 2 runs scored.
• Mikayla Seay improved to 11-6 this season inside the circle and tied the single-game school record with 10 innings pitched.

Rockford advances to play top-seeded Aurora University on Friday, May 7 at 4 PM. The winner advances to play in the NACC South Division Championship game on Saturday at noon. The loser will play right away again at 7PM against the winner of tomorrow's elimination game between Benedictine University and Dominican University.