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Box Score 2 CHICAGO, Ill. -- Pitchers dominated the day as the University of Chicago softball team lost a pair of games 2-0 and 2-1 to Illinois Wesleyan University on Tuesday.
The Maroons (12-10) dropped their fifth-straight contest while the No. 20-ranked Titans (22-7) won their sixth game in-a-row.
Game One - Illinois Wesleyan 2, Chicago 0
The day's first game was a pitching duel as UChicago's Kim Cygan and IWU's Molly McCready cruised through the opposing lineups. McCready struck out 10 batters through the first five innings and Cygan matched her zeros on the scoreboard each time.
The Titans got their best scoring opportunity in the top of the sixth with back-to-back singles. A double steal put runners on second and third, but Cygan grooved the pitch in for a strikeout looking to end the threat. The Maroons almost broke through in the sixth as well by loading the bases with two outs. But McCready picked up another strikeout to keep the game scoreless.
IWU scored the winning runs in the seventh with a pinch-hit two-run home run over the left field fence.
UChicago recorded two hits in the game, with both coming from Jordan Poole. Cygan (5-5) worked all seven innings, striking out eight while allowing six hits and two runs.
Game Two - Illinois Wesleyan 2, Chicago 1
After three scoreless innings that resembled a continuation of game one, IWU knocked in both of its runs in the top of the fourth. The Titans strung together three-straight hits, including an RBI double and an RBI single.
Outside of the fourth inning, Poole was dealing in the pitching circle for the Maroons. The freshman only allowed two hits in the other six innings and ended up with seven strikeouts and two walks.
Kristin Lopez got UChicago halfway there in the sixth inning when the freshman shortstop blasted a solo home run to left field to make the score 2-1. The Maroons then put two runners on base in the seventh inning. However, the game ended on a strikeout to halt the rally.
Lopez accounted for two of UChicago's seven hits. The loss ran Poole's record to 5-4 on the season.
