ROSEMONT, Ill. – The Roosevelt softball team settled for a split in its Saturday Chicagoland Collegiate Athletic Conference doubleheader versus Trinity Christian at the Ballpark at Rosemont. The Lakers won the opener, 5-3, but fell in the nightcap to the Trolls by a 6-1 margin.
In game one, Roosevelt sophomore Lauryn Lewis delivered the clutch hit on offense, while freshman pitcher Brianna McCormick fanned the only batter she faced to snuff out a potential seventh-inning Trinity Christian rally as the Lakers earned the 5-3 victory.
Lewis broke a 2-2 deadlock in the bottom of the fourth with a two-out, two-run single. Rookie Taylor Sterkowitz tied the game earlier in the frame with a ringing double to centerfield.
Trinity Christian cut the Lakers' lead in half in the top of the fifth, but Roosevelt (11-23, 4-16) answered with an insurance run in its half of the sixth.
The Trolls (18-18, 9-13) created anxious moments in the seventh when with two outs a walk and an infield single brought the tying run to the plate. Roosevelt head coach Aaron Moore called McCormick out of the pen to relieve starter Maddy Janssen. McCormick quickly ended the threat, striking out Trolls shortstop Chloe McRobbie to end the game and collect her first career save.
Janssen (3-7) picked with the win after a strong outing in the circle. She allowed three runs, one earned, on five hits with two strikeouts.
Sophomore Haley Huss plated Roosevelt's first run in the bottom of the first with a run-scoring double as part of a 2-for-3 effort at the plate.
Game two saw Trolls starter Dara Megyesi limit the Roosevelt offense to just one run on three hits in a 6-1 complete-game victory.
Huss drove in the Lakers only run with a sacrifice fly, following back-to-back hits by Rachel Kubisz and Brooke Lee.
Trinity Christian put up single tallies in the second, third, fifth and seventh innings, respectively, with the lone multi-run frame coming in the sixth behind a two-run homer off the bat of Jamie Budreau.
The Lakers are back in action on Tuesday when they travel to Hammond, Ind., for an afternoon doubleheader at Purdue Northwest.
