ROSEMONT, Ill. – Lewis' softball team dropped both of its games on Sunday on the final day of the Lewis Dome Invitational at The Dome at the Parkway Bank Sports Complex in Rosemont, Ill. The Flyers (4-5) dropped the opening game to Purdue Northwest 5-2 and then fall to Wayne State 3-1.
Olivia Magaldi (Mishawka, Ind./Penn) and
Kristin Kavalauskas (Oak Forest, Ill./Tinley Park) had two hits apiece on the day while
Alexandra Piatt (Granger, Ind./Penn),
Maggie Joutras (Shorewood, IL/Providence Catholic High School),
Cierra Taylor (Tinley Park, Ill./Andrew) and
Elexis Swartzentruber (Normal, Ill./Normal Community) had a hit each.
Game 1 – Purdue Northwest 5 Lewis 2
Lewis struggled to get its offense going as it was held hitless through the first five innings.
The Pride (2-3) scored twice in the second on a single, a triple and a sacrifice fly. They added to their lead with single tallies in the fifth and sixth innings.
The Flyers broke through in their half of the sixth.
Morgan Weber (Sugar Grove, Ill./Kaneland) led off the inning and was hit by a pitch. She went to second on Kavalauskas' single to left. Taylor moved both runners up with a ground out to short. After a line out to left, Swartzentruber drove in both runs with a ground-rule double to left center. Lewis had the tying run at the dish but
Sara Serena (Kankakee, Ill./Kankakee) flew out to right ended the threat.
Purdue Northwest added an insurance in the seventh on a sacrifice fly from Heather O'Kelly.
The Flyers threatened in its final at-bat getting a two-out single and walk to bring the tying run to the plate but a ground out to second ended the game.
Lewis was held to three hits in the contest with Kavalauskas, Swartzentruber and Magaldi each recording one. Serena threw a complete game allowing five runs, four earned, on nine hits while striking out seven and walking one to fall to 1-2 on the season.
Game 2 – Wayne State 3 Lewis 1
The Warriors (4-1) jumped out to an early lead with a run in the first and two unearned runs in the second.
The Flyers rallied in the third. Magaldi led off the inning with a double and went to third on Piatt's bunt single to third. Weber reached on a safety squeeze as the pitcher went home to try and get Magaldi but Magaldi slid in ahead of the tag to put Lewis on the board.
Katie David (Mapleton, Ill./Illini Bluffs) lined a shot to third that was caught and Piatt was doubled off of second for a double play. Kavalauskas then struck out swinging to end the threat.
The Flyers put the tying runs on base in the seventh as Taylor led off the inning with a single and Swartzentruber reached on a fielding error by the shortstop. After a pitching change, Serena tried to advance the runners but she popped up the bunt for the first out. Joutras then popped up to second and Magaldi struck out swinging to end the game.
Lewis was outhit in the contest 6-5 with five different players registering a hit in the contest.
Braylyn Burdick (Boonville, Ind./Boonville) threw the first four innings allowing three runs, one earned, on six hits with two strikeouts and a walk to take the loss and fall to 0-1. David pitched the final three innings and retired all nine batters she faced.
Lewis returns to the diamond on Saturday (March 7) taking on Minnesota State-Moorhead in Auburndale, Fla., at 3:15 p.m. (CST).
