GREENFIELD, Wis. - The Rockford University softball team split its two games with the Mount Mary University Blue Angels on Wednesday afternoon. Rockford lost the first game of the doubleheader 7-5 in heartbreaking fashion when the blue angels scored 4 runs in the bottom of the seventh inning including a walk-off 2-run home run. Despite the difficult loss in the first game, the Regents bounced back nicely for game two with a 9-1 win in 5 innings.
Offensively Rockford scored in just two innings in the opener. The Regents trailed 1-0 after the first inning before taking a 2-1 lead in the fourth. Pitcher Brittany Bura (Chicago, Ill.) began the rally with a leadoff single into left field. Two batters later, Sarah Rizzo (Monee, Ill.) delivered a single of her own putting runners on the corners with just one out. Bura would later score on a wild pitch as the Regents tied the game at 1-1. Ali Moore (Mascoutah, Ill.) then gave Rockford its first lead of the game as she ripped an RBI single through the left side of the infield to score Rizzo.
Mount Mary then tied the game in the bottom half of the inning before Rockford retook the lead in the top of the fifth inning. Lisa Blakeley-Snyder (Winnebago, Ill.) single-handedly put her team back out in front with a solo home run. The Regents followed with back-to-back singles from Stefaney Kenworthy (Veedersburg, Ind.) and Brittany Bura before scoring on a Mount Mary error. Rockford's final run of the inning came off the bat of Sarah Rizzo and her RBI single into left field as the Regents grabbed a 5-2 advantage.
Rockford held a 5-3 lead entering the seventh inning before Mount Mary rallied for 4 runs to win the game. The Regents were unable to record an out in the inning as the Blue Angels strung together 4 consecutive hits including a walk-off home run en route to a 7-5 win.
The Regents were able to put the disappointing loss in the opener behind them as they dominated the Blue Angels in game two. Senior pitcher Sarah Moriz threw one of her best games of the season. Moritz fired her team-leading ninth complete game surrendering just one run on three hits. She also struck out 8 batters while walking just one to pick up her third win of the season.
Rockford gave Moritz an early lead as the Regents struck first in the top of the opening frame. Alexandra Storey (Dexter, Mich.) led off the game with double into left center field. One batter later, Storey scored courtesy of a Mount Mary error giving Rockford a quick 1-0 lead.
The score remained the same until the Regents extended their lead in the top of the third. Rockford scored two runs off just two hits while taking advantage of a pair of Blue Angel errors in the inning. Sarah Moritz (Heyworth, Ill.) helped her own cause as she drove in the first run of the inning with an RBI double into left center field. Sarah Rizzo recorded the other RBI in the inning off an infield single.
One inning later Rockford blew the game wide open scoring 6 runs on 5 hits. Following an Alexandra Storey leadoff single and two Mount Mary errors, Brittany Bura knocked in Storey with a sacrifice fly into center field. Senior Maranda Walker (Rockford, Ill.) followed with an RBI double before Moritz drove in her second run of the game with an RBI single. The Regents then took advantage of another error scoring two more runs before Lynn Blakeley-Snyder (Winnebago, Ill.) drove in the final run of the inning. Mount Mary answered with a single run in the bottom half of the fourth but it was not enough as the Regents cruised to an easy 9-1 victory.
The Rockford University softball team concludes the home portion of its schedule on Friday, April 24 against Wisconsin Lutheran. First pitch of the doubleheader is set for 3 PM.
