WHEATON, Ill. -- The Rockford University softball team faced Wheaton College for a nonconference doubleheader and split both games, taking the first 8-7 and then falling short 10-2.
The Regents will return to action on Saturday, April 25, when they return to Regent Field for a senior day NACC doubleheader against Lakeland University, with the first pitch set for noon CDT.
Game One: Rockford 8, Wheaton 7
Both
Brooklyn Lee and
Liz Mois went 2-for-4 with two RBIs.
Kieran Madigan saw two at-bats, which resulted in two hits and two RBIs.
Kendall Knoll threw for the first three innings in the circle and surrendered four runs, three strikeouts, and allowed six hits.
Claire Shanahan entered for Knoll in the fourth, working the last four innings. Shanahan also allowed six hits while also punching out three batters with the win.
Both teams were held scoreless after the first inning until Knoll roped a ball to right field to record an RBI single, followed by a sacrifice fly by Madigan to give the Regents a 2-0 lead after two innings, as the Regents did not allow any runs in the bottom of the second.
Wheaton scored four runs in the third, scoring its first run with an RBI double to center field. Later in the order, Natalie McCaghren hit a two-RBI double to right center as the Thunder took their first lead of the game, 3-2. To end the inning, Amaya Daniels reached on a fielder's choice and tallied an RBI as Wheaton scored four total runs in the inning, leading 4-2.
Next inning, the Regents' offense matched the Thunder's, scoring four runs of their own. Lee knocked a two-RBI single to right field to tie the game, and Mois launched a two-RBI double to center field as Rockford regained the lead 6-4.
The Regents built just enough insurance in the fifth when
Sophia Hulsey scored on a throwing error by the catcher, followed by Madigan's RBI Single to left center to build an 8-4 advantage.
Wheaton scored three runs in the fifth and seventh innings combined. Scoring off a sacrifice fly in the fifth and RBI singles both to right and left center, but fell short as Shanahan struck a batter out swinging to get the third out.
Game Two: Wheaton 10, Rockford 2
Tayiah Scanlan had a team-high two hits, going 2-for-3 at the plate. Both
Payton Willenkamp and
Lorelei Monk each added an RBI, going 1-for-2.
Monk worked the first four innings, allowing four runs off six hits.
Neelah Vandeberg threw the final 2/3rds of the fifth inning, giving up five earned runs off four hits with one strikeout.
Willenkamp and Monk both hit RBI singles to both left and center field in the first two innings, which were the only two runs of the game for Rockford.
Wheaton scored three runs in the second and third innings on two sacrifice flies and an RBI single to take the lead for good.
The Thunder then put the game away in the fifth as they plated seven runs to split the series.
