From University of Chicago Athletics
The University of Chicago softball team racked up 25 hits over two games to claim 6-4 and 8-4 victories at Kalamazoo College on Friday.
The Maroons improved to 10-3 on the season. The Hornets fell to 4-11.
Game One – UChicago 6, Kalamazoo 4
A senior got the Maroons off to a strong start in the opening inning. Designated player Kathleen Kohm stroked her team-high seventh double of the year to right center to score fellow senior shortstop Kristin Lopez.
Kalamazoo tied the game at 1-1 in the bottom of the third. A leadoff double came around to score on a single for the home side. But UChicago did not let the tie stand for long. The Maroons tallied three scores in the top of the fourth to go up 4-1. Freshman outfielder Maeve Garvey smacked her first collegiate home run with a two-run blast to center field. Starting pitcher Jordyne Prussak helped her own cause at the plate as the freshman doubled in another run on a full count.
Junior second base Anna Woolery's aggression on the base paths paid off again in the seventh inning. After a two-out error put her on base and scored a run, Woolery stole her third base of the day by swiping second. The double steal also brought in Garvey, who snagged home plate and gave UChicago a 6-1 lead.
The insurance runs proved important when Kalamazoo scored three times in the bottom of the seventh. Two run-scoring singles and a RBI triple made things interesting, but Prussak finished off the game with a pop fly to first base.
With the 6-4 victory, Prussak moved to 5-0 in the pitching circle this season. She threw all seven innings with nine hits, four runs, two walks and one strikeout.
On offense, the Maroons totaled 10 hits and stole a season-high five bases. Woolery accounted for three of the steals while also going 2-for-4. Kohm was 2-for-3 with one RBI as well.
Game Two – UChicago 8, Kalamazoo 4
UChicago wasted no time in getting onto the scoreboard in game two. The visitors scored five times and knocked seven hits in the top of the first to seize control. Singles by Lopez and Woolery set up RBI singles from junior third base Maggie O'Hara and freshman first base Carly Schulz. Garvey posted another extra-base hit, this time a two-run double to left field. Sophomore catcher Olivia Haney made it 5-0 with a RBI double of her own to left center.
The Hornets chomped into the lead in the bottom of the second. Two walks and a single loaded the bases with no outs. A two-run single up the middle followed immediately after. Fortunately, the Maroons were able to get out of the frame with a 5-3 lead and minimized the damage from there. Sophomore pitcher Molly Morancame in relief and retired the first batter on a grounder. The next batter lofted an RBI sacrifice fly to right field, but the inning then ended when freshman Serena Moss gunned down the runner trying to advance to third.
Moran kept Kalamazoo in check for the rest of the game. She only allowed one more run in the bottom of the third and tossed the final six innings of the contest. The sophomore righty struck out seven batters in that time without surrendering a walk. Her season record improved to 3-1 at the game's conclusion.
Garvey added another RBI to her total with a single through the right side in the top of the third. Haney cracked another run-scoring double two batters later. The Maroons wrapped up the scoring in the fourth when Schulz tripled, driving in O'Hara in the process.
UChicago's 15 hits were a season best and the base runners stole four more bases. Schulz went 3-for-4 with two RBI and Garvey was 2-for-4 with three RBI. Haney hit 2-for-3 with two RBI, while O'Hara (one RBI), Lopez and senior outfielder Devan Parkison all had two hits each.