ROMEOVILLE, Ill. – The Lewis Flyer softball team ended its 2018 season sweeping Drury in a doubleheader on Sunday afternoon at the Lewis Softball Field. The Flyers (21-29, 10-18 GLVC) came from behind in both games to win 7-2 and 12-11.

Game 1 – Lewis 7, Drury 2
The Panthers (20-24, 11-17 GLVC) struck first in the opener on solo home run with one out in the second off the bat of Kasey Cazares. They added to their lead with a run in the third on a two-out double from Kelly Conway to score Jacy Ummel.

Lewis struggled to figure out Cazares in the first four innings and were held without a hit until a bunt single from Sarah DeMasi (Lockport, Ill./Lockport) leading off the fourth. The Flyers broke through in the fifth scoring three times on three hits and an error. DeMasi drove in Kendyl Strack (Genoa, Ill./Genoa-Kingston) with the first run on a single to right center. Kaylee Prieto (Chicago, Ill./Marist) went to third on the play and scored on a throwing error by Ummel to tie the game. Cierra Taylor (Tinley Park, Ill./Andrew) followed with a double to right center to bring home DeMasi with the go-ahead run.

Lewis added to its lead scoring four times on four hits and a pair of Panther errors in the sixth. Lauren Brennan (Cantonment, Fla./J.M. Tate) reached on a dropped fly ball to start the inning and came into score on Jessica Lofthouse (Oswego, Ill./Oswego)'s single to left center. Strack advanced to third on the play and scored on an error by Ummel. Prieto grounded out to short to score Lofthouse and then Taylor capped the scoring with a double to right center to score Emily Guske (Loves Park, Ill./Harlem).

The Flyers outhit Drury 8-7 in the contest with DeMasi, Taylor and Strack recording two hits each. Dara Sanders (Crestwood, Ill./Mother McAuley) earned the win allowing two runs on seven hits with five punchouts in the complete game effort.

Game 2 – Lewis 12, Drury 11
The Panthers jumped on top scoring an unearned run in each of the first two innings. Lewis sent eight batters to the plate in the second and scored three times on three hits and an error. Strack drove in Morgan Weber (Sugar Grove, Ill./Kaneland) with a single up the middle to make it 2-1. Later in the inning, Prieto hit a popup on the infield that landed between the catcher and third baseman which allowed Strack and Cori Reynolds (Lansing, Ill./TF South) to score to make it 3-2.

Drury responded with two runs on three hits in the fourth to regain the lead but Sanders was able to limit the damage by getting Megan Holmes to ground out to Emily Espinosa (Chicago, Ill./Lane Tech). The Flyers tied the game in the fourth on a single to left from DeMasi that scored Espinosa.

The fifth inning was a wild one as the Panthers sent 10 batters to the plate scoring six runs on three hits and three walks to take a 10-4 lead. Lewis responded in its half of the fifth by sending 12 batters to the plate scoring seven times on four hits and five walks. The Flyers received four straight walks as Drury pitchers threw 17 straight out of the zone at one point to make the score 10-8. DeMasi grounded into a fielder's choice to bring in Espinosa to make it 10-9. After another walk reloaded the bases Weber singled to right center scoring Perna and DeMasi to give Lewis an 11-10 lead.

The Panthers loaded the bases with two outs in the sixth but Sanders got Dominique Salinas to line out to Taylor to end the inning. Lewis tacked on an insurance run in the home half of the sixth. Reynolds led off the inning with a walk, advanced to second on a wild pitch, went to third on a ground out and scored on a wild pitch.

Drury cut the lead to 12-11 with one out in the seventh on a pinch hit home run from Natalie Lopez but Sanders got a poput and a groundout to end the game.

The Flyers finished with 11 hits in the nightcap led by Weber with three while Strack and Espinosa had two each. Sanders picked up the win in relief to end the season with a record of 15-10.