From University of Chicago Athetics
The University of Chicago softball team celebrated Senior Day with a pair of dominant wins, 5-1 and 8-0 over Lawrence University on Friday afternoon.
The Maroons concluded their regular season with a 25-12 record. The Vikings finished at 14-22.
The UChicago senior class of infielder Maggie O'Hara, utility player Anna Woolery and student assistant coach Alexa Hanelin was recognized on the field between games of the doubleheader. Over their four years in the program, the Maroons have compiled a 92-51 overall record (.643 winning percentage) with two trips to the NCAA postseason.
Game One – UChicago 5, Lawrence 1
The big blow came in the bottom of the second inning when the Maroons capitalized on two errors that plated four unearned runs. With two outs, consecutive Lawrence miscues brought the first around to score. A single and a walk loaded the bases for sophomore outfielder Serena Moss, and she delivered a RBI single up the middle. Woolery was next up and she poked a two-run single through the right side.
O'Hara singled to lead off the third inning and eventually came around to score on a wild pitch to make it 5-0. The Vikings threatened in the fifth by filling the bases with no outs. A sacrifice fly got the visitors on the scoreboard. But junior pitcher Molly Moran clamped down and forced a fly out and a fielder's choice to escape without further damage.
Moran finished the game off from there to earn her 10th complete game of the season. Her record improved to 10-6 with a pitching line of six strikeouts, one run, two hits and four walks.
Offensively, UChicago totaled six hits. Woolery was 2-for-3 at the plate with two RBI and one stolen base.
Game Two – UChicago 8, Lawrence 0
Megan Stoppelman got the call to pitch game two and the freshman righty thoroughly silenced Lawrence's bats. After cruising through three perfect innings, Stoppelman allowed a single with two outs in the fourth. She then picked up right where she left off and retired the next four batters to complete her five-inning outing. Stoppelman tallied four strikeouts and did not surrender a walk, running her season record to 12-4.
The game ended after five innings thanks to UChicago's offensive outburst in the third and fourth frames. The third inning saw the first seven batters reach base. Sophomore outfielder Maeve Garvey's RBI fielder's choice opened the scoring. O'Hara coaxed a bases-loaded walk to force in another, and sophomore first base Carly Schulz singled up the gut to knock in one more. Freshman designated player Danielle Allen's fielder's choice and freshman shortstop Emma Nelson's groundout pushed the lead to 5-0.
Moss led off the fourth with a single and a stolen base, then was followed in kind by Woolery with a single and steal of her own. A wild pitch scored Moss and Schulz's single to left field brought in Woolery. Allen provided the eighth run of the game with a long RBI double left center that one-hopped to the fence.
The Maroons ended up with nine hits and drew three walks. Schulz (two RBI) and Woolery were both a perfect 3-for-3 in the batter's box.