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Box Score 3 CROWN POINT, Ind. – After three straight days of rain delays, the Roosevelt Lakers softball team finally started play in the CCAC Softball Tournament on Sunday, May 8 at the Crown Point Sportsplex. While Roosevelt was able to win its first game of the tournament, a condensed schedule saw them play two more times on opening day, falling in both to bow out of the double elimination tournament.
The opening round of the tournament, originally scheduled for Thursday, May 5, paired the four-seed Lakers against the five-seed, Cardinal Stritch. The Lakers offense got things started quickly in the bottom of the first as a ground out by Athena Pomele-Pom scored Kassie Kawka to give the Lakers an early 1-0 advantage. Meanwhile ace Kate Sisson got off to an equally hot start in the circle, striking out six of the first eight Wolves to step into the batter's box. Sisson would go on to pitch 5 1/3 scoreless innings, striking out seven in total. The Roosevelt bats would give her plenty of insurance, scoring two unearned runs in the third and two more earned runs in the fifth to lead the game 5-0. The Wolves would get a run back in the seventh inning, but Dayton Elliott entered the game to record the final three outs and give RU a 5-1 game one victory.
Advancing in the championship bracket, the Lakers second round matchup would pit them against the top-seeded St. Xavier Cougars. The game got off to a bit of an ominous start for RU as the Cougars scored three runs on a pair of walks and a pair of errors in the bottom of the first inning off starter Samantha Norman. Kate Sisson entered the game in relief and gave up an additional two runs in the third inning as the Cougars led by a 5-0 margin. As the Lakers had often this season, they donned their rally caps in the fourth inning and cut into the Cougars lead, scoring two runs on an RBI fielder's choice from Emily Zuniga and an RBI single from pinch hitter Jessica Schneider.
With the lead cut to 5-2, Hailey Getz entered the circle for the Lakers and pitched well, getting the next nine outs while giving up just a single hit over those three innings. The Lakers got back on the board in the sixth, as Destini Nolan and Kirstin Fudge led of the inning with back-to-back singles. With pinch runner Brielle Carre now on third after a sacrifice bunt, the Lakers would tack on two runs as Carre scored on a wild pitch and Fudge crossed home plate on a single from Ashlyn Kitter. Down just one run entering the final inning, Pomele-Pen and Nolan would both single to put the tying and game-winning runs on the bases. However, the Lakers would leave them stranded and St. Xavier would prevail in the second-round game, 5-4.
Playing their third game of the day, the Lakers would have to square off against the number two seed, Olivet Nazarene in the elimination bracket. Game three had a sense of déjà vu to it as the Lakers fell behind early and faced a 5-0 deficit after two innings. However, just like in game two, RU began to chip away at the lead in the fourth inning. After Athena Pomele-Pen hit a one-out double to center, Destini Nolan drove her in with a double of her own to cut the lead to 5-1. The Lakers would get another run back in the fifth thanks to singles from Emily Zuniga and Ashlyn Kitter. However, with the lead now 5-2, the Lakers bats went cold and they would not connect on a another hit in the game, falling to the Tigers and ending their season in the third round of the CCAC Tournament.
GAME ONE DETAILS
W: Kate Sisson (7-6) L: Hope Maes (16-7)
Records: Roosevelt 22-18 | Cardinal Stritch 28-12
Location: Crown Point Sportsplex | Crown Point, Ind.
KEY STATS
- Kassie Kawka went 1-for-3 with a stolen base & two runs scored
- Anaisa Lozada was 2-for-4 with one RBI
- Athena Pomele-Pom went 1-for-4 with three RBIs
- Brynn Dvoracek was 1-for-3 with one RBI
- Ashlyn Kitter went 1-for-2 with a stolen base & two runs scored
- Emily Zuniga was 2-for-3 with two runs scored
- Kate Sisson started, striking out seven batters over 5 & 1/3 innings
- Dayton Elliott pitched the final two innings, giving up one run and striking out two
GAME TWO DETAILS
W: Samantha Norman (3-5) L: Laila Summers (11-3)
Records: Roosevelt 22-19 | St. Xavier 35-6
Location: Crown Point Sportsplex | Crown Point, Ind.
KEY STATS
GAME THREE DETAILS
W: Kori Fricke (16-5) L: Hailey Getz (5-5)
Records: Roosevelt 22-20 | Olivet Nazarene 32-12-1
Location: Crown Point Sportsplex | Crown Point, Ind.
KEY STATS
NEWS & NOTES
- Click here to view the CCAC Softball Tournament Central
