FORT MYERS, Fla. - The Rockford University softball team opened the 2025 season with a split in its first two games. The Regents fell 10-2 to UW-Superior to begin the year, but then rebounded with a 9-7 win versus RIT. Rockford allowed runs in five of the six innings against the Yellow Jackets, with multiple runs in three of those, including four in the fifth. Kariana Williams and Bella Lima led the RU offense by going a combined 4-for-4 and driving in and scoring both runs. The RU offense exploded for five runs in the top of the second in game two of the day and never looked back. The Regents added another run in the fourth and three more in the fifth to earn a 9-7 victory against the Tigers. Olivia Lysaght also tied the RU school record with a pair of triples in the game.


UW-Superior 10 Rockford 2 (6 Innings)

• The Yellow Jackets plated a pair of runs off just one hit in the top of the first to grab an early 2-0 lead. 
• UW-Superior added another run off an RBI single in the third to extend its advantage to 3-0. 
• The Regents finally broke through with their first run of the day in the bottom of the third. Bella Lime drew a two-out walk, stole second and then scored on a Kariana Williams RBI single into right center field. 
• Unfortunately, the Yellow Jackets blew the game wide open with six runs off seven hits over the next two innings to take a commanding 9-1 lead.
• However, Rockford did score a run in the bottom of the fifth to send it to the sixth. Bella Lima was once again the catalyst, this time with a two-out triple into right center field. Kariana Williams then drove in her second run of the day on an RBI single into right.
• Unfortunately, the Yellow Jackets got that run right back in the top of the sixth and then retired the Regents in order to win the game by a final score of 10-2.

Rockford 9 RIT 7

• The Tigers plated a run in the bottom of the first off just one hit to grab a quick 1-0 lead. 
• Rockford responded with five runs off four hits in the top of the second inning. Sophia Hulsey, Chayton Krueger and Michaela Froehlich loaded the bases with no outs on a pair of singles and a walk. One batter later, Olivia Lysaght cleared the bases with a three-run triple to give the Regents their first lead of the season. Rockford would tack on another run off a Lauren Zielinski RBI groundout and a Tiger error to make it a 5-1 game. 
• The score remained unchanged until the top of the fourth when Kariana Williams knocked in Jocelyn Callahan on an RBI single to give her team a 6-1 advantage.
• The Tigers responded with a pair of unearned runs in the bottom half of the inning to cut the Rockford lead down to just three at 6-3.
• Fortunately, the Regent bats tacked on a trio of runs in the top of the fifth. Sophia Hulsey led off the inning with a triple and then scored a couple of batters later on a Chayton Krueger RBI groundout. Olivia Lysaght then tripled in a run and would later score on a Judah Ortiz RBI groundout to make it an 9-3 ballgame. 
• The scoring continued in the bottom half of the inning. The Tigers got two of the three runs back off a trio of hits to cut the Regent lead down to 9-5. 
• RIT added single runs in the sixth and seventh, but Rockford held on for the 9-7 win.

UW-Superior

• Kariana Williams was a perfect 3-for-3 with 2 RBIs. 
• Bella Lima went 1-for-1 with a triple, 2 walks and 2 runs scored.

RIT

• Kariana Williams picked up the win inside the circle to improve to 1-0 this year. Williams was also 2-for-3 at the plate with a stolen base and an RBI.
• Jocelyn Callahan was 4-for-5 with a triple and 2 runs scored.
• Olivia Lysaght went 2-for-4, tied the school record with 2 triples, 4 RBIs and 2 runs scored.
• Sophia Hulsey was also 2-for-4 with a triple and 2 runs scored.
• Claire Shanahan tossed the final inning of the game to earn the save.

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