LOVES PARK, Ill. - The Rockford University softball team fell in both games against the UW-Whitewater Warhawks on Thursday afternoon. The Regents were in reach for a majority of the first game, but a late surge by the Warhawks sealed the 10-3 victory. UW-Whitewater carried its momentum into the nightcap, gaining a large lead in the first inning and maintaining it until the mercy-rule took effect, giving the Warhawks the sweep with a final score of 11-3.
UWW 10 Rockford 3
- UW-Whitewater got on the board first. An error early in the inning allowed the Warhawks to score two runs in the second inning.
- Rockford responded in the bottom of the inning thanks to a Jennifer Ruesch knocking a single to score Lauren Zielinski to make it a 2-1 game.
- UWW added two more runs to its lead in the fourth with a pair of singles and a triple to make the score 4-1.
- Bella Lima scored Enedy Perez in the bottom of the inning to pull the score to 4-2.
- The Warhawks scored six more runs compared to one scored by the Regents for the remainder of the game, taking the opening victory 10-3.
UWW 11 Rockford 3
- UW-Whitewater opened game two with a six-run first inning.
- Bella Lima scored after a stolen base and an error brought her home to make it 6-1.
- A single followed up by a double by the Warhawks in the second inning put the lead back at six runs with the score at 7-1. A double in the third inning brought in two more runs for UWW to put the team well out of reach at 9-1.
- Candace Kipp smacked a double in the bottom half of the inning to score Bella Lima and cut the lead, making it a 9-2 ballgame.
- UW-Whitewater scored its 10th run in the fourth and had an eight-run lead, forcing the Regents to need a response by the fifth inning to keep out the run-rule.
- Rockford got the much-needed run to stay alive after a run-down brought Candace Kipp in to score from third. The Regents were still alive 10-3.
- The Warhawks scored another run on a sacrifice fly in the top of the sixth, followed up with striking out the Regents in order in the bottom of the inning to secure the run-rule win and the sweep 11-3.
Game 1
Game 2
- Candace Kipp hit 2-for-3 with an RBI and a double.
- Bella Lima went 1-for-3, scoring twice and stealing 3 bases.
