JOLIET, Ill. --- The University of St. Francis softball team locked up no less than a share of its second straight Chicagoland Collegiate Athletic Conference title with its Senior Day doubleheader sweep of Roosevelt University by 2-1 and 7-3 counts on Wednesday afternoon.

Both teams came into the twinbill tied for the league lead and, by night's end, all that kept head coach Amanda Jensen's squad from gaining the conference crown outright was a loss by Saint Xavier University this weekend.  The Saints, who completed their regular season on Wednesday, currently hold a one-game edge over SXU in the league standings with the Cougars hosting Olivet Nazarene University in a doubleheader on Saturday to conclude their regular season.

Should Saint Xavier lose one of those two contests, St. Francis (26-12, 12-4 CCAC) will gain the outright title for the second consecutive season.  If SXU wins both games, the two teams will tie for the conference championship with Saint Xavier gaining the top seed in next week's CCAC Tournament by virtue of beating USF twice during the regular season.

Kiersten Manning and Emily Boyle were a big part of USF's success on Wednesday, getting it done both offensively and in the pitching circle.  Manning went 3-for-6 at the plate with a clutch home run, while earning the Game 1 win and closing out the nightcap.  Boyle recorded two hits and scored two runs in Game 2, while allowing just one earned run over the first 4 1/3 innings to collect the win.

Game 1: USF 2, Roosevelt 1
Two of the top hurlers in the conference in Roosevelt's Samantha Norman (10-4) and Manning (15-6) squared off in a pitcher's duel in Game 1 with a scoreless tie resulting through the first three innings.

Roosevelt (14-18, 9-5) eventually broke the ice with a solo home run to lead off the fourth inning.  The Lakers had a chance to score earlier, having runners at second and third base with no one out in the second inning, but Manning was able to work out of the jam with a popup on the infield, a strikeout and a diving catch by Kylie Cook on a bunt attempt.

Following the home run, Manning did not allow another hit over the final four innings and had just three runners reach base (2 walks, 1 error).  She also got the Saints back in the game with her home run in the fifth inning to knot the contest at one-all. 

USF's first chance at winning the game came one inning later when the Saints put runners at first and third base with only one out.  Roosevelt, however, escaped that situation.

One inning later, Cook had a one-out single down the left field line and went to third on Rose Mwaro's sacrifice that was misplayed.  Hailey Kaddatz then came through with one of the biggest hits of her collegiate career with a single off the base of the left field fence to drive home the winning run.

Manning, who accounted for two of USF's six hits, went the distance on the mound, striking out six batters over the seven-inning affair opposite five hits and three walks.

Game 2: USF 7, Roosevelt 3
In the nightcap, the Saints went right to work, scoring four runs in the first inning and two more in the second to open a 6-1 lead.  USF batted around in the first inning with Jaelynn Taylor's two-run home run being the big blow.

Kaylie Sippel had a run-scoring double in both the first and second innings and came around to score herself in the latter frame on Isabella Landeros' single.  USF's final run came on Cook's single in the fourth inning.

The St. Francis top of the order set the stage for the big first two innings, going 6-for-11 with two hits each from Brittany Osborne, Boyle and Sippel.  They also combined for five of the seven runs scored.

Boyle (5-2) claimed her fifth straight win with her 4 1/3-inning performance.  She allowed three hits and two walks, while striking out a pair of batters in that time.  Manning came on to seal the victory and the share of the league title, working the final 2 2/3 innings.

Notes: The Saints honored seniors Zoe Ditter, Gracyn Gabriel, Mwaro, Osborne and Sippel in pre-game ceremonies … After recording just one home run one year ago, Taylor hit her team-leading sixth of the season in Wednesday's second game … Manning, meanwhile, moved into a tie for second place with Osborne and Landeros with her fourth home run of the campaign … Sippel's multi-RBI game in the nightcap was her tenth of the season … Landeros had both her 14-game hitting streak and 17-game streak of reaching base come to an end in the opener.  Both marks were season-high efforts by a Saint this season …. St. Francis is off for the next eight days before competing in the CCAC Tournament next Thursday through Saturday at the Crown Point Sportsplex.  Unlike one year ago when the conference received two bids to the NAIA National Tournament – one to the regular-season champion, the other to the tourney champ – because it had ten-plus teams in the league, the league only gets one in 2024 with that bid going to the conference tournament champion.  

Links to live coverage can be found at gofightingsaints.com/coverage. You can also keep up with everything happening around USF Athletics on Twitter @USFSaints.