NAPERVILLE, Ill. - The Kalamazoo College softball team split a pair of games in its season finale at North Central (Ill.) on Saturday, losing 3-2 in a 14 inning marathon in the first game before rebounding with a 6-4 win in the second game.
Game One
After four innings of scoreless play the Hornets put runners on base in the fifth and scored a pair of runs courtesy of RBIs from Fiona Summers and Andrea MacMichael. North Central quickly answered in the sixth to lock the game up at 2-2.
That score would hold up through seven more innings as the teams headed into the 14th inning still level. After the Hornets were retired in order to start inning, North Central put together three straight singles to walk off with a 3-2 win.
Summers went 2-6 with a triple and an RBI to lead the Hornets at the plate.
Sammi Luzadre and Keelin McManus both pitched well, but McManus took the loss on the mound.
Game Two
The Hornets rebounded from the tough loss in the first game with two runs in the first inning as Anna Majewski hit an RBI single and then Ashley Schiffer doubled to bring Majewski home.
North Central wasted no time in tying the game 2-2 in the bottom of the first, but K reclaimed the lead with a run in the fourth. In the fifth K really broke the game open beginning with an RBI single from Schiffer. The Hornets then loaded the bases for Briana Huisken who delivered with a two RBI single to balloon the lead to 6-2.
North Central narrowed the lead with runs in the fifth and sixth, but would not get any closer as the Hornets wrapped a season ending victory.
Ashley Schiffer led K offensively, going 3-for-4 at the plate with a pair of RBIs.
Sammi Luzadre earned the win, throwing the full seven innings.
Kalamazoo finishes the season 11-27 overall and 2-14 in MIAA play.