ROMEOVILLE, Ill. – The Lewis Flyer softball squad dropped a pair of extra inning contests to the Saint Xavier Cougars on Wednesday afternoon at the Lewis Softball Field. The Cougars (20-13) won the opener 9-8 in 10 innings and the nightcap 11-8 in nine innings.

Game 1 – Saint Xavier 9, Lewis 8 10 innings
Saint Xavier sent nine batters to the plate in the first inning scoring six times on four hits and a pair of walks. Tori Keilman opened the scoring hitting a three-run homer to left center and later in the inning Frankie Demack hit a three-run home run to center field.

The Flyers (18-28) got three of those runs back in their half of the first. With two outs and the bases loaded Morgan Weber (Sugar Grove, Ill./Kaneland) walked on a 3-2 pitch to bring in Sarah DeMasi (Lockport, Ill./Lockport). Lauren Brennan (Cantonment, Fla./J.M. Tate) followed with a single up the middle to drive in Cierra Taylor (Tinley Park, Ill./Andrew) and Kendyl Strack (Genoa, Ill./Genoa-Kingston). Lewis added two more runs in the second on an RBI double to right center off the bat of Taylor. A throwing error on the play allowed DeMasi to score to make it a one run contest. Dara Sanders (Crestwood, Ill./Mother McAuley) followed with a single to right center to put runners on the corner with only out but a line out and a ground out ended the threat.

The Cougars extended their lead in the fourth with a pair of solo home runs off the bat of Keilman and Brittany Schultz.

The Flyers got a run back in their half of the fourth. Taylor led it off with a double down the left field line and scored on Brennan's double that deflected off the glove of a diving Keilman down the left field line. The tying runs would be left stranded on a strikeout to end the inning. Lewis tied the game in the fifth. Emily Guske (Loves Park, Ill./Harlem) reached on an error by the pitcher to start the inning then Prieto followed with a single to center. DeMasi advanced both runners 60 feet with a ground out to first. Taylor followed with a single up the middle to score Guske and Prieto to tie the game. Taylor would be left in scoring position to end the inning.

The Flyers had the winning run reach base in the sixth, eighth and ninth innings but were unable to bring them around.

Saint Xavier retook the lead on a solo home run in the top off the 10^th off the bat of the pitcher Annalisse Scott. Lewis had the tying run reach scoring position in its half of the 10^th but couldn't drive the run in.

The Flyers tallied 13 hits in the opener led by Brennan with four while Taylor added three. Brennan and Taylor combined to drive in six of the eight runs. Sanders went the final six innings in relief of Taylor Boelte (Rockton, Ill./Hononegah) and allowed one run on four hits with three strikeouts to take the loss.

Game 2 – Saint Xavier 11, Lewis 8 nine innings
The second game started out like the first one as the Cougars sent 10 batters to the plate in their first at-bat scoring six runs on six hits. Lewis began chipping away at the lead scoring twice in the second on a solo home run from Brennan and an RBI single from Cori Reynolds (Lansing, Ill./TF South).

SXU extended its lead to 7-2 with a run in the fifth on an RBI double from Taylor Sterkowitz. The Flyers answered back with a run in its half of the fifth. With one out, DeMasi tripled to right and scored on Taylor's single to center.

Down to its final three outs, Lewis rallied in the seventh to force extra innings. Taylor drove in Prieto with the first run to make it 7-4. Alise Perna (Naperville, Ill./Metea Valley) walked on a 3-2 pitch to bring the tying run to the plate. Brennan was called out on strikes for the second out then Weber drove a 2-2 pitch deep to left center for her third home run of the season to tie the game.

Each side scored in the eighth then the Cougars scored three times in the ninth to win the game.

The Flyers had 12 hits in the nightcap led by Weber with three while Taylor, Brennan and Reynolds had two each. Boelte pitched the final four innings in the contest allowing four runs, two earned, on four hits and a strikeout.

Lewis continues its eight game homestand on Saturday taking on Rockhurst in a doubleheader beginning at 12 p.m. The Flyers will honor their five seniors between games on Saturday.