CHICAGO -- The Siena Heights softball team defeated Roosevelt (Ill.) 12-2 in six innings for game one and 8-6 in game two to improve to 11-3 on the year. Jordan Bianchi was 4-for-7 on the day to lead the Saints in hits.
THE BASICS
Final Scores: Game 1: Siena Heights 12, Roosevelt 2 (6 innings) | Game 2: Siena Heights 8, Roosevelt 6
Location: Chicago, Illinois
Records: Siena Heights (11-3), Roosevelt (6-13)
HOW IT HAPPENED
Ashley Helmink gave the Saints a 3-0 lead in the top of the 1st-inning. The lead would increase in the 3rd-inning after Kayla Boland brought Helmink home on a single to center field. Taylor Mowery tripled to right center three batters later to score Boland and give Siena a 5-0 advantage.
The Lakers scored in the bottom half of the 3rd-inning with a double to left center that scored a run. The next batter hit a sacrifice fly to score the runner on third and cut the SHU lead to 5-2.
Jordan Bianchi tripled with two outs in the 5th-inning and was brought home during Mowery's at-bat for a 6-2 Siena lead.
Boland singled in the 6th-inning to score Ashley Bearden and Sam Hill to increase the Saint lead by two more runs. Bianchi hit a single and advanced on the throw as Boland scored on the play. Two runs were scored on a throwing error by Roosevelt to put the score at 11-2 in favor of SHU. A dropped fly ball allowed another Siena runner to cross the plate before the final out of the half inning and the end of the game.
Kelsey Uhl hit an RBI double in the 1st-inning of game two to give Siena the early 1-0 lead. Hayley Turk brought in two runs with a triple to give the Saints a 3-0 lead in the opening inning of game two. The Lakers tallied a run on a double down the left-field line. Another runner crossed the plate on a wild pitch and a single to right center scored the third run to tie the game at three runs at the end of the 1st-inning.
The score would remain tied until Mowery was walked with the bases loaded to give the Saints a 4-3 lead. Roosevelt took its first lead of the day in the bottom half of the 5th-inning after a Saint error allowed a runner to score and a bases-loaded walk allowed a second runner to give the Lakers a 5-4 lead. A second walk with the bases loaded gave the home team a 6-4 advantage.
Helmink doubled to lead off the 7th-inning for Siena. Boland hit an infield single and Bianchi brought Boland and Izzy Howay home with a single up the middle to tie the game at six runs. Sam Hill singled to score Bearden and Bianchi three batters later to take an 8-6 lead.
TOP SAINT HITTERS
• Bianchi was 3-for-4 in game one. She scored two runs and tallied an RBI in the win as well. She added two RBIs and scored a run in game two.
• Helmink was 2-for-4 with three RBIs and two runs in the 12-2 win.
• Boland was also 2-for-4 with three RBIs and two runs in game one.
• Sam Hill was 2-for-4 with a run and two RBIs in game two.
• Kelsey Uhl recorded two hits and an RBI in the nightcap.
SAINT PITCHING
• Kelsey Uhl (W, 4-3) pitched 6.0 innings with four hits, two earned runs, and four strikeouts to get the win in game one. She also pitched 1.0 innings to tally her first save of the season in game two.
• Erika Schwartz (W, 1-0) earned her first win of the season with 1.2 innings pitched. She allowed only one hit while striking out one.
• Lauren Valdez got the start for the Saints in game two. She pitched 4.1 innings and had six strikeouts.
THE OPPOSITION HITTING
• Haley Huss and Megan Crymes each tallied an RBI in game one.
• McKayla Bowen had two hits and two RBIs in the loss in game two.
OPPOSITION PITCHING
• Madison Lentz (L, 3-3) pitched three innings and allowed five hits, four earned runs and a home run in game one.
• Brianna McCormick (L, 0-4) earned the loss after allowing five hits and four earned runs in the second game. She struck out two Saint batters.
UP NEXT
The Saints will host Indiana-South Bend on Friday, March 22 for the team's season opener. The first game of the doubleheader is scheduled to begin at 3:30 p.m.
