CHICAGO - The University of Chicago softball team faced off against the 18th-ranked Washington University in St. Louis (WashU) Bears in a doubleheader on Saturday afternoon. Momentum traded back and forth between the teams, but ultimately UChicago was unable to secure a win in either game, as WashU took both contests in competitive matchups.
Game 1: WashU 5, Chicago 2
In the first game of the day, Chicago took an early lead in the bottom of the first inning. Sedona Ding reached base on a single and came around to score after a double by Matilda Nelson. This gave the Maroons a 1-0 advantage heading into the second inning. However, WashU responded with a strong offensive performance.
The Bears tied it up in the fourth inning leveling the score at 1-1. Then, in the sixth inning, WashU's offense exploded to put them in control at 5-1.
UChicago made a late push in the seventh inning when Laila Sims hit a solo home run to make it 5-2, but it wasn't enough to overcome WashU's dominant sixth inning. Paige Heffke took the loss for Chicago despite pitching a complete game, allowing five runs on nine hits. The win went to Jessica Rossi, who threw five solid innings for WashU, with Julia Burgasser coming in for a two-inning save.
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Game 2: WashU 4, Chicago 1
The second game of the doubleheader was a bit more of a pitching battle, but once again, it was WashU's offense that found a way to come through in key moments.
WashU struck first in the third inning when Pilpil's RBI single scored Reardon to make it 1-0. Chicago answered back quickly in the bottom half of the inning as Audrey Hui's double drove in Madeline Murphy, evening the score at 1-1.
The Bears took control in the fourth inning with a 3-run rally. to push them ahead 4-1.
Despite getting runners on base, UChicago could not find a way to break through against WashU's pitching. Hannah Bond started for WashU and earned the win, allowing just one run in 2.2 innings, while Julia Burgasser closed out the game with 4.1 scoreless innings for the save.
Alana Kimball took the loss for Chicago, giving up 4 runs in 2.1 innings of work. Nicole Wong and Paige Heffke came in in relief, but they were unable to contain WashU's offensive surge in the fourth.
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