ROSEMONT, IL – A three-run first inning paved the way to a 9-4 St. Francis (Ill.) victory over host Roosevelt on Thursday afternoon in the opening game of a Chicagoland Collegiate Athletic Conference doubleheader at the Ballpark at Rosemont.

Sophomore Kiley Southall was a one-woman wrecking crew for the Fighting Saints (12-13, 6-3) offensively, reaching base on all five trips to the plate with three hits, two RBI, three stolen bases and two runs scored to her credit.

Sophomore Alexis Funk led the way for the Lakers (10-18, 1-4), going 3-for-3 at the dish with an RBI single in the seventh.

Roosevelt fell behind early in game one as the Fighting Saints plated a trio of unearned runs in the first inning thanks to a pair of errors. Susan Newton had the lone hit in the frame for St. Francis (Ill.), delivering a two-run single to center.

Back-to-back singles by sophomores Kelly Crowley and Morgan Vogt made for a promising start in the bottom of the first inning, but starter Caitlyn Balandis pitched out of the jam. She allowed just an RBI groundout off the bat of sophomore Kristy Santora as Roosevelt cut the lead to 3-1 after one.

St. Francis (Ill.) would go on to add two runs in the second and then single tallies in the third, fifth, sixth and seventh inning to extend its lead.

Sophomore Sam Kusta drove in a run in the bottom of the sixth for the Lakers with a single to centerfield. Roosevelt put two others on in the frame, but the rally was extinguished by Balandis. The Lakers added two more runs in the seventh on RBI singles from Santora and Funk, but Balandis, once again, escaped further damage to collect her team-best eighth win of the season.

Vogt suffered the loss in the circle after allowing six runs, two earned, in three innings of work. Her record drops to 6-8 on the year with the setback.