AURORA, Ill. – The MSOE softball team was swept by the Aurora University Spartans on Saturday afternoon after a marathon fifteen inning loss for the Red and White in game one of the doubleheader.
RESULTS
MSOE RAIDERS – 3
Aurora University - 4
MSOE RAIDERS - 3
Aurora University - 4
HOW IT HAPPENED
- Game One
- MSOE (14-20, 10-8 NACC) fell behind Aurora (20-14, 10-8 NACC) in the bottom of the second inning after an RBI single from the Spartans gave them an early 1-0 edge. The Raiders would respond in the top of the fifth inning as a leadoff single from Katie Pollock led to an RBI double from freshman Olivia Beals, as the Dyer, Ind. native drove a ball to the right center gap, tying the game up at 1-1.
- Pollock would put on a performance for the ages pitching for the Red and White, throwing 14.1 innings in a marathon of a game to open the doubleheader. With the game knotted up at 1-1, Pollock would throw six straight scoreless innings, allowing a single run in the bottom of the twelfth inning after the Raiders took a 2-1 lead on a Jenna O'Donnell single in the top.
- After allowing her second run, Pollock bounced back with two more scoreless innings. In the top of the fifteenth inning, a Carlee Emery double allowed Jayda Nelson to come around and give the Raiders a 3-2 lead, but the Spartans would score two runs on two hits and a walk in the bottom of the inning as MSOE lost a game one heartbreaker 4-3.
- Game Two
- In game two the Raiders jumped out to a 3-0 lead in the top of the first, as Autumn Sadler singled, before advancing on a wild pitch with Caroline Fouras singling up the middle to bring the freshman home. Nelson followed Fouras with an RBI double, before a Beals single would cap off the MSOE rally at three runs. The Spartans would respond in full in the bottom of the inning, tying the game up on three hits, one walk, and one untimely Raiders error.
- The Spartans would take a 4-3 lead on a sacrifice fly in the bottom of the second, turning up the heat on the Red and White to avoid a sweep as the NACC Tournament draws closer and closer. Emma Smith was thrown out at home to end the top of the fourth and sixth innings, representing the tying run for the Raiders as they aggressively tried to regain the lead. The Raiders would retire in order in the top of the seventh, falling in a mirror image score from game one.
NOTABLE PERFORMANCES
WHO'S ON DECK
The Raiders will head to De Pere, Wisconsin for a doubleheader with the St. Norbert College Green Knights on Sunday, April 27
th, starting at 12:00 P.M.
For up-to-the-minute MSOE Raiders news, visit us at
MSOERaiders.com. You can also follow the Red & White on Twitter
@MSOE_Raiders and
@msoe_raiders on Instagram.
