ROSEMONT, Ill. – Haley Huss delivered walk-off heroics in the bottom of the eighth inning of Thursday's opening contest against Indiana South Bend, as the sophomore shortstop raced around the bases for the winning run and helped the Lakers come away with a doubleheader split at The Ballpark at Rosemont.
Roosevelt (10-20, 3-13 CCAC) won 7-6 in extras and was an inning away from a sweep before Indiana South Bend (12-12, 7-7 CCAC) scored four times in the top of the seventh for a 6-3 decision in the nightcap.
Huss went 6-for-9, including 4-for-4 in the finale, with three RBI on the day.
Her biggest hit came late in game after the Titans tied the game at 6-6 in the seventh. Huss led off the eighth, and she hit a looping drive down the leftfield line that bounced past the leftfielder and went all the way to the wall. Huss did her best Usain Bolt impersonation and sped around the bags and slid home for the winning run.
Brianna McCormick came on in relief and recorded an out on three pitches to get her first collegiate win.
Roosevelt rallied back from an early 2-0 hole with runs in the first and third before scoring a go-ahead run in the fourth on Bethany Hart's two-out bunt single that allowed Taylor Sterkowitz, who doubled with two away and went to third on a wild pitch, to head home safely.
The Lakers nursed a one-run lead in the top of the seventh when the Titans rallied to score four runs on three hits against Brinn Arwood.
Huss and Caitlyn Santiago singled with two outs in the bottom of the seventh to bring the tying run to the plate in the form of Lauryn Lewis. Lewis battled and stayed alive to work the count full before getting called out on strikes to end the rally and the game.
The Lakers head to Joliet to face 15th-ranked St. Francis (Ill.) this Saturday.
