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Romeoville, Ill. - The Lewis University softball team is walking off to the Great Lakes Valley Conference Tournament.

Lewis sophomores Carolyn Nojiri (Downers Grove, Ill./Downers Grove North) and Carly Jaworski (Lemont, Ill./Lemont) both recorded walk-off hits to help the Flyers rally for a 3-2 (9 inn.), 7-5 (11 inn.) GLVC doubleheader sweep over Drury University in the regular-season finale at the Lewis Softball Field on Monday (April 27) afternoon.

With the sweep, Lewis (25-20, 15-13 GLVC) clinches a berth in the upcoming GLVC Tournament on Friday (May 1) in East Peoria, Ill. Their opponent has yet to be determined. Drury ends the season with an overall record of 25-27 and 12-18 in conference play.

"It's a great way to end conference," Lewis head softball coach Becky Pearl said. "I'm proud of our hard work and determination today.

"We persevered and didn't give up," Pearl continued. "We had a lot of people step up, take big roles and making big things happen."

The Panthers jumped out to a 2-0 lead in the opener behind solo home runs from shortstop Kari Hillenburg (3-for-5) and center fielder Rachael Michaelis. That lead stood until the bottom of the seventh as Drury starting pitcher Jessica Kjeldgaard surrendered a pair of two-out RBI singles to both Nojiri (3-for-5, 2 RBI) and Jaworski (2-for-4, RBI) to tie the game at two and send the game into extra innings.

That lead stood until the ninth inning, as Lewis senior catcher Brittany Russell (Oswego, Ill./Oswego East) recorded a one-out double and moved over to third on a Kaylee Prieto (Chicago, Ill./Marist) foul-out. Nojiri completed the Flyer rally with a single to center field, scoring Russell (2-for-4, run) to win the game. Prieto and freshman left fielder Jenna Cairo (Chicago, Ill./Fenwick) each had two hits and scored a run in the win.

Lewis starting pitcher Kelly Bowler (Lockport, Ill./Lockport) went the distance to earn the complete-game victory. Bowler scattered two runs and eight hits while fanning 10. Kjeldgaard allowed three runs and 12 hits in 8.2 innings of work.

The Flyers seemed to be in dire straits again in the nightcap, as Drury held a 3-1 lead heading into the bottom of the sixth. That lead quickly evaporated as Russell cleared the bases with a three-run triple to put Lewis ahead 4-3.

As quickly as the Flyers took the lead, the Panthers regained the 5-4 advantage in the top of the seventh with two runs on a RBI single from Hillenburg and a RBI double from Marissa Ross (3-for-4, 2 runs, 2 RBI, HR).

Lewis was again down to its last bullet in the seventh inning as senior first baseman Kelsey Ullrich (Winfield, Ill./Wheaton North) took Kjeldgaard deep for a two-out solo home run to even the score at five and send the game to extra innings again. Ullrich went 2-for-4 with a run and a RBI.

The game would remain knotted up at five until the 11th inning, as Nojiri opened the frame with a single, setting the stage for Jaworski's heroics. Jaworski (2-for-5, 2 RBI, run) took Kjeldgaard (15-14) deep for the two-run, walk-off home run - securing the GLVC Tournament berth for the Flyers.

Bowler (16-12) came on in relief of sophomore starter Lainie Schweickert (Peru, Ill./St. Bede Academy). Bowler tossed four innings of scoreless relief, allowing just two hits and fanning six. Kjeldgaard allowed three runs and five hits in four innings.

Cairo and junior Nicole Kappelman (Naperville, Ill./Naperville Central) both went 2-for-5 in the nightcap to chip in offensively for the Flyers.