BOURBONNAIS, Ill. --- The University of St. Francis softball team opened defense of its Chicagoland Collegiate Athletic Conference regular-season title by sweeping a doubleheader from rival Olivet Nazarene University on Thursday afternoon. The 9-1 and 2-1 victories extended the Fighting Saints' winning streak to a season-high four games.
Brittany Osborne set the tone for the day with her home run to lead off the first game. It was one of five hits in six at-bats and one of two home runs on the afternoon for the graduate student shortstop. She also drove in four runs, while scoring three times.
Kiersten Manning (8-3) and
Jordan Closs (5-3) also produced strong efforts in the circle, allowing one run each and striking out a combined 15 batters. Manning not only got the first-game win, but her first save as a Saint in the nightcap.
Game 1: USF 9, Olivet Nazarene 1
Osborne was big in the first game with her two home runs, the latter of which fueled a six-run sixth inning, enabling the Saints (14-8, 2-0 CCAC) to pull away. She went a perfect 3-for-3 in the game with four runs batted in and scoring twice on her home runs.
After Olivet Nazarene (5-17, 0-2) tied the contest in the bottom of the first inning, USF took advantage of Tiger errors in the second and fourth innings to go up 3-1.
Besides Osborne's clutch hit in the sixth inning,
Isabella Landeros made Olivet Nazarene pay for its third error of the contest with a two-run single.
Jaelynn Taylor's doubles to start off both the fourth and sixth innings proved crucial, too. She would finish Game 1 matching Osborne with three hits and scoring twice.
Manning struck out eight batters against four walks and three hits in claiming her third straight win in the complete-game effort.
Game 2: USF 2, Olivet Nazarene 1
St. Francis' two first-inning runs held up, the latter of which was another unearned one coughed up by the Olivet Nazarene defense and proved to be the difference in the end.
Kaylie Sippel (2-for-4) brought home the first run on a single, with Landeros delivering the all-important second RBI on a sacrifice fly.
The Saints put runners at third base in each of the final three innings, but could not add to their run count.
Olivet Nazarene had runners at second and third base with only one out in the fourth inning, but could only get one run back. Closs walked the leadoff batter to open the seventh inning before Manning shut the door on the Tigers by retiring the next three batters to end the game.
Closs struck out six batters, while allowing two walks and five hits in gaining the win.
Notes: The doubleheader sweep of the same opponent was the third one this year for St. Francis … The two-home run game in the opener was the fourth of the year … Of the 18 games that Osborne has recorded hits this season, 12 have been multi-hit affairs … USF is now 5-3 in one-run games … The Saints close out the week with a doubleheader against Rochester Christian University on Friday beginning at 1 pm.
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