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Chicago, Ill. - The Lewis University softball team was able to rally in the opener against Saint Xavier, but fell short in the nightcap as the Flyers won game one, 3-1, while the Cougars captured the 6-5 victory in game two of the non-conference doubleheader at the SXU Softball Field on Wednesday (April 15) evening.

"I like the way we kept attacking the ball and kept our focus on the things we could control," Lewis head softball coach Becky Pearl said. "I would have loved to have gotten the sweep, but I saw a lot of good things out there today."

With the split, Lewis is now 20-17, while the host Cougars are now 32-4-2 on the campaign.

Lewis was on the brink of defeat in the opener, as Saint Xavier took a 1-0 lead into the seventh inning. Junior second baseman Frankie Castagna (Chicago, Ill./De La Salle) opened the rally with a one-out single and scored on a RBI double by junior catcher Brittany Russell (Oswego, Ill./Oswego East) to even the score at 1-apiece.

SXU starting pitcher Nicole Nonnemacher (15-3) fanned Lewis freshman right fielder Jenna Cairo (Chicago, Ill./Fenwick) for the second out of the inning, bringing freshman left fielder Kaylee Prieto (Chicago, Ill./Marist) to the dish for the Flyers. Prieto roped a double to left center, scoring Russell and putting the Flyers ahead, 2-1. Lewis sophomore shortstop Carly Jaworski (Lemont, Ill./Lemont) added an insurance run, as she plated Prieto with a single through the left side, extending the Flyers' advantage to 3-1.

Jaworski (3-for-4, RBI) accounted for three of Lewis' six hits on the afternoon. Four of Lewis' six hits came in the seventh inning.

Lewis starting pitcher Kelly Bowler (Lockport, Ill./Lockport) earned the complete-game, four-hit victory to improve to 13-9 on the campaign. Bowler fanned five Cougar batters. Nonnemacher allowed three runs and six hits, while striking out 11 Flyers.

In the nightcap, Lewis jumped out to an early 2-0 lead behind a solo home run from Prieto and a RBI double by sophomore second baseman Carolyn Nojiri (Downers Grove, Ill./Downers Grove North).

That lead quickly vanquished as SXU scored five runs off of Lewis starting pitcher Lainie Schweickert (Peru, Ill./St. Bede Academy) in the third inning, highlighted by a two-run double by shortstop Rebeka Ferguson, giving the Cougars a 5-2 advantage.

Both teams traded runs in the fifth inning, as SXU took a 6-3 lead into the seventh.

Prieto opened the seventh with an infield single off of SXU starting pitcher Callie Brown. Brown fanned Jaworski to bring Lewis first baseman Kelsey Ullrich (Winfield, Ill./Wheaton North) to the plate. Ullrich connected for a RBI double that would score Prieto from first and cut the Cougars' lead to 6-4.

Brown retired freshman catcher Sarah DeMasi (Lockport, Ill./Lockport) for the second out of the inning. Lewis senior center fielder Justina Doll (Mundelein, Ill./Mundelein) drove in Ullrich from second with a RBI single to bring the Flyers to within one at 6-5. Brown plunked Lewis third baseman Bianca Garcia (Elmwood Park, Ill./Elmwood Park), which moved Doll into scoring position, but retired Nojiri on a game-ending flyout.

Nojiri went 3-for-4 with a RBI, while Prieto went 2-for-4 with two runs scored, including a solo home run in the first inning.

Schweickert (7-8) took the loss for the Flyers, allowing six runs - five earned - and seven hits, while striking out two batters. Brown (15-1) scattered five runs - four earned - and nine hits, while fanning three batters to earn the complete-game victory.

Lewis is back in action on Saturday (April 18), as the Flyers head to Liberty, Mo., for a 12 PM doubleheader against William Jewell.