April 20, 2010
GM 1 Box Score
GM 2 Box Score
Softball: St. Xavier 3, No. 13 Lewis 2 (GM 1) in PDF Format 
Softball: No. 13 Lewis 6, St. Xavier 2 in PDF Format
Chicago, Ill. - Lewis University head softball coach George DiMatteo considers his squad lucky to have split their non-conference doubleheader against St. Xavier on Tuesday (Apr. 20) afternoon, as the host Cougars won the opener, 3-2, and the No. 13 Flyers took the nightcap, 6-2, at SXU Softball Field.
In all, Lewis had a total of 11 hits in the doubleheader.
"We just didn't hit the ball well today," DiMatteo said. "St. Xavier is a well coached, very talented team. I thought we should have done better offensively. Our pitchers pitched well today, but St. Xavier took advantage of a few mistakes in the opener."
With the split, Lewis moves to 26-10 on the season, while the host Cougars, are now 25-13.
In the opener, St. Xavier jumped out to a 2-0 advantage behind a RBI single from Rebekah Ruettiger and a sacrifice fly from Kate Mollohan.
The Flyers evened that score up at two in the top of the fifth inning, as freshman shortstop Michelle Vucsko (Chicago, Ill./Marist) connected for a two-run triple.
The Cougars, however, took control of the game in the sixth inning as Nicole Fletcher roped the game-winning double off of losing pitcher Karissa Habel (Downers Grove, Ill./Downers Grove South).
Habel, who allowed nine hits and three runs in six innings of work, drops to 11-4 on the campaign. SXU starter Jalyn Shearer improved to 13-3 on the season, as she earned the complete-game victory, allowing just two runs and five hits in seven innings of work.
In game two, the Flyers jumped out to an early 1-0 lead in the second inning, as junior outfielder Sarah Hurley (Bolingbrook, Ill./Plainfield Central) roped a one-out home run over the left field wall.
Lewis tacked on two more runs in the third inning on a RBI fielders choice by Vucsko and a RBI single from junior first baseman Stephanie Harmon (Joliet, Ill./Plainfield South) to extend the Flyers' advantage to 3-0.
St. Xavier touched Lewis freshman pitcher Amy Christopher (Lafayette, Colo./Holy Family) for a pair of runs in the third inning on a RBI double from Rachel Krabbe and a RBI single from Mollohan to narrow the Flyer lead to 3-2.
The Flyers, however, would put the game out of reach in the next half inning thanks in part to a pair of defensive miscues by Cougars second baseman Brittany Hannigan. With the bases loaded, sophomore designated player Katie Healy (Homewood, Ill./Marian Catholic) rolled a grounder to Hannigan, which would have been the third out of the inning. Hannigan fumbled the grounder, allowing Healy to reach safely and then threw the ball down the left field line, allowing all three runners to score and give the Flyers the 6-2 lead.
The win was Christopher's first career complete-game in a Flyer uniform. Christopher (4-2) allowed two runs and nine hits while striking out a season-high six batters. St. Xavier starting pitcher Amie Brown (6-5) took the loss for the Cougars, as she allowed all six runs and gave up four hits in five innings of work.
Lewis returns to action on Wednesday (Apr. 21), as the Flyers head to Rensselaer, Indiana to face Saint Joseph's for a 3 PM (CST) GLVC doubleheader.
A Catholic university sponsored by the De La Salle Christian Brothers, Lewis offers more than 80 undergraduate majors and programs of study, accelerated degree completion options for working adults, various aviation programs and 22 graduate programs in nine fields. The ninth largest private, not-for-profit university in Illinois is being honored for the sixth consecutive year by The Princeton Review and U.S. News & World Report. Please visit www.lewisu.edu for more information.
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