FOND DU LAC, Wis. - Thus far April has been a difficult month for the Rockford College softball team as the ladies have won just one game. The Regents were hoping to turn their luck around and get back into the win column when they hit the road for a doubleheader against the Marian University Sabres. Rockford is just 2-10 in Northern Athletics Conference play against Marian, but the Regents and Sabres did split their doubleheader last season. This year's games had a very similar feel to last season's games as Marian won the opener 7-1 and the Regents took game two by a final of 4-1.
Game one got off to a rocky start for the Regents as Marian jumped on them early. The Sabres put up three runs in each of the first two innings off of six hits and used one Rockford error to propel themselves to a quick 6-0 lead. The Rockford offense seemed to be befuddled by Marian's pitching as the ladies were held without a hit through the first 5.1 innings of play. With one out in the top of the sixth it was sophomore Maranda Walker (Rockford, Ill./Boylan) who broke up the no hitter when she drove a double into right center field. Two batters later senior Jossilyn Jones (Rockford, Ill./Guilford) doubled in Walker to make it a 7-1 game. However that was as close as the Regents got as Marian got the next batter out and held Rockford scoreless in seventh for a 7-1 victory.
Game two turned out much better for the Regents as they used a combination of excellent pitching and a big fourth inning to defeat the Sabres. Senior Brittany Bura (Chicago, Ill./Trinity) was outstanding on the mound in game two. Bura breezed through the first three innings never allowing more than one base runner in an inning to keep it a scoreless tie entering the fourth. Sophomore Jessica Segalla (Loves Park, Ill./Harlem) led off the inning with a double giving Rockford a great chance to take the lead. After a balk and a walk, Alexis Ford (Cortland, Ill./DeKalb) drove in the game's first run on an fielder's choice. Two batters later Maranada Walker laced a single into right center to score another run and once again load the bases with just one out. Marian then proceeded to walk in a run before Jossilyn Jones knocked in the final run on a sacrifice fly. The Sabres promptly answered in the bottom of the fourth inning but were only able to scratch across a single run to cut the Rockford lead to 4-1. The remaining three innings belonged to Bura as she retired 9 of the last 10 batters to seal the victory.
The softball team returns home on Monday, April 21st for a doubleheader against MSOE. First pitch is scheduled for 3 p.m. at the Smith Athletic Field on the campus of Rockford College.
