HAMMOND, Ind. – Roosevelt's offense heated up late in game 2 to help the Lakers split their Saturday doubleheader against Purdue Northwest in Great Lakes Intercollegiate Athletic Conference action.

The opening game between the two teams was a pitching duel until the sixth inning when all six runs in the game were scored. Roosevelt pounced in the top of the frame, but Purdue Northwest struck for five in the bottom half for a 5-1 win. The Lakers (15-27, 9-15 GLIAC) exacted revenge in the second game with multiple runs in the fifth, sixth and seventh for a 9-1 victory.  

PURDUE NORTHWEST 5, ROOSEVELT 1
Neither team was able to generate much on offense in the opening frames except for one big opportunity. Roosevelt's chance came in the third inning when Ava Kaspar reached on an error to lead off the frame. Pinch runner Bianca Gallegos advanced on a Caitlin Williams single then tried to score on Kendall Pearson's shot up the middle, but was thrown out at home.

In the fifth inning, the Pride put the leadoff runner on against Kailey Hancock then used consecutive bunts to move her to third. However, the Lakers sophomore induced a fly ball to centerfield to extinguish the threat.

Hancock allowed only four hits in the first five innings and did not walk anyone in the circle. That gave Roosevelt extra juice when it broke through in the top of the sixth with a two-out rally for the first run of the game.

Pearson found a gap in the left side of the infield then Athena Pomele-Pen smashed a double into left field to score Pearson. Brynn Dvoracek followed with a single then moved to second when the outfielder threw to home plate to prevent Pomele-Pen from scoring.

However, the Pride got four hits off Hancock in the fifth inning to take the lead, and the base runners Riley Czarnecki inherited scored on a third hard-hit double of the frame.
The Lakers managed just five hits total in the contest, all of which occurred in the third or sixth innings.

ROOSEVELT 9, PURDUE NORTHWEST 1
The floodgates opened up for the Lakers offense in the fifth inning in support of a strong complete-game from Czarnecki. The freshman needed just 63 pitches to get through all seven innings, allowing just three hits and an unearned run while striking out three. That run came in the first inning when Roosevelt made its only two errors in the game.

Roosevelt took the lead in the second inning after Ella Dvoracek and Pomele-Pen both hit RBI singles with the bases loaded. Czarnecki retired the Pride in order in the second, third and fourth innings, allowing the Lakers' bats to heat up. Rebecca Urbaniak, Libby Kreykes and Bianca Gallesgos hit consecutive doubles to extend the lead to 4-1 in the fifth.

In the sixth inning, Pomele-Pen hit a routine single and was followed by back-to-back walks to load the bases with one out. Kreykes and Gallegos hit consecutive singles to score runs then Williams drew a bases-loaded walk. Brynn Dvoracek drove in the final two runs in the seventh inning with a double down the left-field line that allowed Pearson and Pomele-Pen to round the bases.

UP NEXT: The Lakers return home Friday for a doubleheader against Davenport at the Parkway Bank Sports Complex. First pitch is scheduled for 2:30 p.m. in Rosemont.