Softball splits with St. Francis to finish the regular season

Joliet, IL - The Calumet College Softball team traveled to play the University of St. Francis and their final doubleheader of the regular season. The Crimson Wave were coming off a tough four-game losing streak and looking to go into the conference tournament with another win under their belt. The Wave had a tough game one, losing 9-1 in 6-innings, but made a comeback in the second game with a  2-1 win and split their final series of the season. 

Game One: CCSJ 1, USF 9 (6-innings)

The lefty Sophomore Roxanne Ines started on the mound for the Crimson Wave, going 3 innings with 1 strikeout but allowing 7 runs off 9 hits. 

The first inning was tough for the Wave and Ines, as the Fighting Saints got an early jump and scored 6 runs to give themselves a solid lead. In the bottom of the 2nd innings, USF scored another run and brought their score to 7-0. In the 4th inning, Sophomore Kylee Bunnell went ot pitch for Ines, going the final 2.2 innings with 2 strikeouts and allowing 2 runs off 5 hits. With the potential for a 5-inning run rule, the Fighting Saints scored their 8th run in the bottom of the 4th inning. The Crimson Wave fought back in the top of the 5th inning, scoring their first run of the game off an RBI double from Sophomore Bailey Bennett-Jordan. The effort was enough to play another inning, but the Wave couldn't secure another run in the 6th inning but the Fighting Saints did and won the game 9-1. 

Game Two: CCSJ 2, USF 1

Senior Josselline Monge started on the mound for the Crimson Wave, going the distance and pitching all 7 innings with 1 strikeout and 1 walk with no earned runs off of 4 hits. 

The Fighting Saints were the first to score in the bottom of the 2nd inning and take a 1-0 lead that would hold until the 4th inning. After singles from the two Freshmen, Kylee Slack and Adelina Staden, Senior Grace Elrod hit an RBI double to tie the game up at 1-1. The Wave held the Saints at the plate, but in the top of the 7th inning the Crimson Wave scored their winning run off an RBI double from Sophomore Priscilla Seniw. In the bottom of the 7th, USF had a leadoff single that was followed up with three outs and the Crimson Wave secured their 2-1 win and split to end the regular season. 

Slack led the Crimson Wave, going  2-4 with a walk and Elrod was 1-4 with 2 walks, a double, and an RBI. 

The Wave have two graduating Seniors, pitcher Josselline Monge and catcher Grace Elrod. This season Elrod is hitting .282 with a .371 on-base percentage with 10 doubles, 3 homeruns, 5 stolen bases, and 23 RBIs. Monge has pitched 103.1 innings this season for the Crimson Wave with an ERA of 3.05 with 63 strikeouts.

The Crimson Wave ended their regular season with a 16-22 record and 10-12 in CCAC play.