ROSCOE, Ill. - The Rockford University softball team stunned #21 Dominican University on Wednesday afternoon. Rockford took down the Stars 8-3 in the opener to give them just their fourth loss of the season (34-4).
Mariah Martinez was brilliant inside the circle the entire game, holding the high-powered Dominican attack to just three runs. Martinez was especially dominant down the stretch, allowing just one batter to reach base over the final two innings. The RU offense backed up Martinez with seven combined runs in the fifth and sixth, including a two-run double from
Enedy Perez and a two-run home run by
Rylee Klema, to seal the 8-3 victory. Game two however belonged to the Stars. After Rockford took a 1-0 lead in the first, Dominican tallied four runs in the second en route to a 6-1 win. The split with Dominican keeps the Regents' playoff hopes alive. Rockford sits just two games out of seventh place with four games remaining.
Game 1
- Rockford's Emily Down blasted a solo home run down the left field line in the bottom of the first inning to give the Regents a quick 1-0 lead.
- Starting pitcher Mariah Martinez did an outstanding job of keeping the Dominican offense off balance the entire game. Martinez kept the Stars off the scoreboard through the first two innings, but did surrender a single run in the third, on a ball that got lost in the sun and fell behind second base, to tie the game.
- After a scoreless fourth, Dominican jumped in front on a clutch two-out, two-run double to left center field to take its first lead of the day at 3-1.
- Fortunately, Rockford responded with three runs of its own in the bottom half of the inning. The Regents quickly loaded the bases off a pair of singles by Enedy Perez and Jocelyn Callahan and a Dominican miscue. Makayla Howard drove in the first run of the inning on an RBI ground out, and then Michaela Froehlich tied the game on a pinch-hit sacrifice fly to left. One batter later, Olivia Lysaght gave the Regents a 4-3 advantage off an RBI single back up the middle.
- Martinez then shut down the Stars in the sixth, which allowed the RU offense to tack on four insurance runs in the bottom half of the inning.
- Emily Down and Kariana Williams both singled to put runners on first and second with no one out. One batter later, Enedy Perez crushed a two-run double down the left field line, clearing the bases, and making it a 6-3 Rockford lead. Senior Rylee Klema followed with a two-run home run to straight away center, extending the RU advantage to 8-3.
- Mariah Martinez then retired the Stars in order in the seventh to secure the 8-3 victory.
Game 2
- The Regents again scored first with a single run in the bottom of the first inning. The Regents put runners on the corners with one out following a Dominican error and an Emily Down single. One batter later, Kariana Williams ripped an RBI single down the left field line to give Rockford a 1-0 lead.
- Unfortunately, Dominican tallied four runs, only one of which was earned, in the top of the second to grab a 4-1 advantage.
- Rockford had a chance to get some of those runs back in the bottom of the second. The Regents loaded the bases with two outs on a pair of singles by Rylee Klema and Chayton Krueger and a Dominican error. Unfortunately, the Stars were able to get the next batter to ground out to end the threat.
- Dominican then added single runs in the fourth and seventh to extend its lead to 6-1.
- Rockford was unable to get much of anything going offensively until the bottom of the seventh. Rylee Klema began the inning with a leadoff double, but unfortunately, the Stars retired the next three batters for the 6-1 win.
Game 1
- Mariah Martinez threw her team-leading ninth complete game of the season and earned her sixth win of the year. She went all 7 innings, allowing 3 runs and striking out 1 batter.
- Emily Down finished 2-for-3 with a home run, an RBI and a run scored.
- Enedy Perez was 2-for-3 with a double, 2 RBIs and 2 runs scored.
- Rylee Klema went 1-for-3 with a home run, 2 RBIs and a run scored.
Game 2
- Rylee Klema came into the game and pitched 5 solid innings in relief. Klema allowed just 2 runs and struck out 1 batter.
- Rylee Klema was also 2-for-3 at the plate with a double.
- Kariana Williams went 1-for-3 with an RBI.
