ROSEMONT – Roosevelt closed out its home schedule at the Parkway Bank Sports Complex on Wednesday with a pair of shutout losses to Parkside in Great Lakes Intercollegiate Athletic Conference action.
The Lakers' pitching gave them a chance in both contests with Riley Czarnecki and Kailey Hancock both controlling the strike zone and limiting walks. However, the Rangers ended up scoring seven runs in the sixth inning to win the opener 10-0, a scoreline that didn't match what Czarnecki accomplished in the circle for Roosevelt (10-36, 4-22 GLIAC). Hancock picked up a tough-luck loss in the second game, a 4-0 Parkside win in which only one of the two runs Hancock allowed was earned.
PARKSIDE 10, ROOSEVELT 0
Before Parkside's outburst in the sixth inning, Czarnecki was in control of the game even if the Rangers were leading on the scoreboard. She induced the first two batters of the second inning to send choppers back to her for easy outs. After a two-out double, the sophomore seemingly got out of the inning when Kendall Pearson's throw to catch the runner trying to score was in time and on line.
However, the ball skipped out of the catcher's glove, allowing the Rangers to score an unearned run on the error. Parkside added a second unearned run in the fifth inning as well to open up a 3-0 lead against Czarnecki, who had escaped trouble up to that point.
In the fourth inning, the Lakers escaped unscathed after an error put runners on second and third with two outs. Czarnecki even limited the damage to two runs in the fifth inning when the Rangers took advantage of an error to put multiple runners in scoring position.
Roosevelt put its first runner on base in the third inning when Ava Kaspar was hit by what would have been ball four. Pinch runner Marissa Quintero stole second base then Lundin Cornelius worked a walk, but both players were stranded there. Sophia Barofsky led off the fourth with Roosevelt's only hit of the game, but she was left on first base after her single.
PARKSIDE 4, ROOSEVELT 0
As good as Czarnecki was, Hancock might have been better despite dropping her 10th game of the season. She was perfect through the Parkside lineup the first time, starting the game with three straight 1-2-3 innings. Hancock allowed a leadoff single in the fourth, who came around to score on the next play when the Lakers misplayed the sacrifice bunt attempt and threw the ball away.
The one unearned run stuck until the sixth when the Rangers had three of their four hits off Hancock and managed to scratch across an insurance run with two outs. Catie Luzzi pitched the seventh inning for the Lakers and allowed the other two runs in the game.
Roosevelt had plenty of chances to score first or tie the game, but didn't manage to capitalize on any of them. In the second inning, Kennedy Calderon singled into right field to send Kendall Pearson to third base. However, Calderon tried to take second on the throw to third and was barely tagged out.
In the third inning, Libby Kreykes started with a walk then Isis Enriquez attempted to lay down a sacrifice bunt. The ball bounced back and hit Enriquez in the helmet after contact, but the umpires never saw it so Enriquez was thrown out as she assumed it would have been a foul ball. Either way, Ella Dvoracek walked to put two runners on again, but the inning ended there.
After Parkside took the lead, Barofsky started the fourth with a single then moved up on Calderon's second hit of the game. However, the Lakers were thrown out on a steal attempt and the Rangers escaped trouble.
UP NEXT: Roosevelt closes out the season with a doubleheader against Parkside on Saturday in Kenosha, Wisconsin starting at noon.
