SPRINGFIELD, Mo. -- The Lewis University softball team split the two game series Friday (March 28) at Drury University. The Flyers won the first game 8-5 and dropped the second game 4-3 also in seven innings.

Delaney Garden (Carpentersville, IL/Harry D. Jacobs High School) opened the first game with a leadoff walk in the top of the first inning and ended up coming around to score on an RBI single by Anna Frafjord (Sussex, WI/Hamilton High School) to put the Flyers up 1-0 early. Lewis had a big top half of the third inning, capitalizing on an error and five hits pushing across three runs with Frafjord, Kristen Graham (Mapleton, IL/Illini Bluffs High School) and Katie Jensen (Warrenville, Ill./Wheaton-Warrenville South) all picking up RBI singles with the bases loaded increasing the score to 4-0.

In the top of the fifth inning, Frafjord started the Flyers off right with a leadoff double and later came around to score on a groundout by Erica Hoffman (Hebron, IN/Boone Grove High School) to make it 5-0. Isabelle Poortenga (Dyer,IN/Lake Central High School) and Jensen also added two more runs by crossing the plate, making it a comfortable 7-0 lead.

Drury responded in the score column in the bottom half of the fifth inning plating three runs on two hits and two Lewis errors, Garden worked her way out of the inning stranding two runners and striking out back-to-back batters to close out the fifth. The Panthers continued to chip away at the Lewis lead with an RBI double by Agers and RBI single by Lachappa knocking the lead down to two runs at 7-5 in the bottom of the sixth.

Jensen cashed in one more run for Lewis in the top of the seventh inning with an RBI single by Mackenzie Sheehan (Kansasville, Wis./Union Grove) creating a three run cushion at 8-5. Garden closed out the game and picked up her 13th win pitching all seven innings giving up four earned runs on six hits with eight strikeouts with the final score at 8-5.

Garden recorded her 600th career strikeout in the Lewis victory. 
 
GAME 2: Drury 4, Lewis 3  (7 innings)

TEAM RECORDS
Drury 16-16, 9-5 GLVC | Lewis 24-12, 10-2 GLVC 

SUMMARY
Drury opened the offense up early in the second game getting runners on and scoring a run to go up 1-0 off a Lewis throwing error. The Panthers added a second run to their lead in the bottom half of the third inning with an RBI single from Hartsell putting Drury up 2-0.

Jensen got things started for Lewis with a leadoff triple to center and advanced on a wild pitch to get the Flyers on the scoreboard 2-1 in the top of the fourth inning. A fielder's choice for Drury in the bottom half of the fourth allowed a run to come across while Luetticke picked up another RBI for the Panthers on an RBI single extending the lead to 4-1.

Lewis attempted to erase the lead late in the top of the sixth with a pinch-hit RBI double from Ava Reed (Lemont, IL/Lemont High School) followed up by another RBI double from Garden bringing the deficit to one run at 4-3. The Flyers opened the top half of the seventh inning with a leadoff double by Graham but couldn't bring her in to tie the score as Drury held on to strand two runners and win the second game 4-3.
 
50 YEARS OF WOMEN'S ATHLETICS
Lewis University is also organizing several alumni and family events throughout the women's athletic seasons to commemorate this historic milestone. These special gatherings will provide an opportunity for former athletes, families, and supporters to reconnect and celebrate the achievements of women's sports at Lewis. The scheduled events include:

• Women's Tennis Alumni/Family Event – April 19
• Women's Lacrosse Alumni/Family Event – April 25
• Women's Softball Alumni/Family Event – April 26
• Women's Track Alumni Day – May 3

FLYERS ANNUAL FUND
Support the Flyers by making a gift to the Flyers Athletics Fund at https://lewisflyers.com/202425AnnualFund