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BLUEJAY SOFTBALL TEAM SPLITS FINAL GAMES OF SPRING TRIP
ELMHURST, ILL., March 25, 2004--The Elmhurst College softball team completed its 2004 spring trip at the Sun West Tournament by splitting its final two games. The Bluejays dropped a 6-3 decision to the College of St. Catherine and bounced back to defeat Carleton College 9-8 in nine innings. ST. CATHERINE 6, ELMHURST 3 - The Bluejays lost their seventh straight contest, falling to St. Catherine 6--3. The Bluejays jumped on the score board in the first inning when Jennifer Cromer (Carol Stream-Glenbard North) scored on a RBI single by Katie Gervase (Glen Ellyn-Glenbard West). St. Catherine answered back, taking the lead in the second. A lead off homer followed by a double lead to a pair of runs that put St. Catherine up 2-1. They tacked on two more runs in the fourth inning with another home run and a run scoring on a Bluejay error. Elmhurst got one run back in the bottom of the fourth when Cromer drove in a run with a RBI single. St. Catherine added a run in the fifth inning and Elmhurst answered right back as Jessica Kalal (Lisle-H.S.) drove in a run with a single. St. Catherine would seal the game in the seventh by adding one additional run. Cromer led the Bluejays at the plate, collecting a pair of hits, scoring a run and driving in a run. Gervase suffered the loss, allowing seven hits and four earned runs over seven innings. She walked just one batter and struck out seven. ELMHURST 9, CARLETON 8 - The Bluejays toppled Carleton for the second time this week earning a 9-8 extra inning win to conclude their spring trip. The Bluejays jumped out to an early 4-0 lead in the first inning. With the bases loaded and one out, Jill Kroll (Palos Park-Stagg) singled down the left line to plate two runs. Kara Kimler (Williamsfield-H.S.) added a RBI single and Kroll would later score on a wild pitch to give Elmhurst the early lead. Carleton scored one in the fourth, twice in the fifth and scored the tying run in the six inning. The game went into extra inning innings tied a 4-4. Playing international extra inning rules, both teams would start with a runner at second base. The Bluejays took advantage of several Carleton mistakes in the eighth inning to score three times. Carleton failed to cut down the lead runner at third base on a sacrifice attempt, allowing the Bluejays to load the bases with no outs. A sacrifice fly from Hillary Pietrucha (Orland Hills-Andrew) gave Elmhurst the lead. An error by Carleton loaded the bases again for the Bluejays. Gervase then drove in a run on a sacrifice fly. Another Carleton error would lead to Cromer scoring to put the Bluejays up 7-4. Carleton would not go away as they scored three times in the eighth off Danielle White (Bolingbrook-Naperville Central) to knot the score at 7-7. Elmhurst reclaimed the lead in the ninth when a Carleton error led to an early run for Elmhurst. Christy Gorecki (Oak Forest-Richards) added a RBI single to put Elmhurst up 9-7. Carleton would close to within a run at 9-8 and had the tying run at third base with one out. Kari Christianson lifted a fly ball to left that Cromer caught and then gunned down Kate Collyar at the plate to end the game and five Elmhurst the win. White picked up the win in relief, pitching four innings, allowing seven hits and five runs, only one of which was earned. Pietrucha and Gorecki each recorded two hits for the Bluejays while driving in a run apiece. Kroll added two RBI for the Bluejays. |