JOLIET, Ill. --- On a day that featured eight home runs between Roosevelt University and the University of St. Francis softball teams, Bridget McDermott's two run walk off in the bottom of the seventh inning of the nightcap enabled the Saints to gain a split of the Chicagoland Collegiate Athletic Conference doubleheader on Thursday. After dropping the opener 9-7, USF scored a 7-5 victory in Game 2 to improve to 22-10 overall and 12-4 in league play.

McDermott was one of three Saints to record home runs on Thursday with Madisen Tucker and Danielle Callahan delivering the other two round trippers. For Tucker, it was one of a team high four hits on the day.

Tucker also tossed nine innings of relief between the two games and gained the win in the second contest.

Game 1: Roosevelt 9, USF 7
Roosevelt struck for a six spot in its first at bat highlighted by both a two and three run home run. After the Lakers made it 8-0 in the top of the fourth inning, the Saints made for an interesting finish.

Callahan's home run to open the bottom of the fourth inning started a string of seven unanswered runs for the Saints. Tucker (3-for-4) added an RBI single in the same frame before USF scored five times in the sixth inning to get within 8-7.

All five runs came after two outs courtesy of clutch two run singles from both Maddie Massaro and Callahan. For the latter, it capped off a 2-for-4, 3-RBI game.

After Roosevelt added an insurance run in the top of the seventh inning, the Saints had the first two batters reach base in the bottom of the inning. The Lakers, however, doused the rally with a pair of ground outs and a line drive out to end the game.

Kylie Sippel went 2 for 3 with two runs scored for USF.

Game 2: USF 7, Roosevelt 5
Game 2 featured four ties before McDermott broke the last one with her opposite field home run. She also had a sacrifice fly earlier in the contest to give the Saints a 2-1 lead.

USF's biggest scoring inning came in the third when Tucker opened with a home run and Maddie Eckberg (double) and Brittany Osborne (sacrifice fly) followed with RBIs to turn a 3-2 deficit into a 5-3 lead.

Roosevelt forced a five all tie one half inning later, setting the stage for McDermott's heroics.

Osborne led the Saints with two hits, two runs scored and one run batted in.

Tucker (3-3) allowed only one run in her three innings of work to gain the victory.  

Up Next
The Saints travel to Bourbonnais on Saturday to face Olivet Nazarene University in another CCAC matchup beginning at noon.  

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