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Box Score 2 LOVES PARK, Ill. (WLCSports.com) – Freshman Taylor Peterson (Beloit, Wis.) collected six hits on the day, but the Wisconsin Lutheran College softball team dropped a pair of back-and-forth NACC games to Rockford on Friday afternoon at Mercyhealth Sportscore Two. The Regents used a seven-run first inning to take game one 12-10 before winning the nightcap 7-4.
- Final Scores: Rockford 12, Wisconsin Lutheran 10; Rockford 7, Wisconsin Lutheran 4
- Records: Wisconsin Lutheran (8-14, 1-9 NACC), Rockford (11-13, 3-9 NACC)
- Location: Mercyhealth Sportscore Two, Loves Park, Ill.
- The Warriors struck quickly in the first inning. Sophomore Bre Hoy (McHenry, Ill.) led off the game with a ground-rule double to right center. After Peterson singled to left field, sophomore Lexi Martin (Westfield, Ind.) cleared the bases with a three-run home run to give WLC an early 3-0 lead.
- The Regents responded quickly as they sent 13 batters to the plate and tallied seven runs on five hits in their half of the first inning to take a 7-3 advantage.
- WLC chipped away at the deficit and scored a pair in the second to trim the deficit to 7-5. Freshman Cara Velez (Chicago, Ill.) started the rally by reaching on an error and senior Aerin Moberg (Wheaton, Ill.) reached on a walk. Peterson collected her second hit in as many innings with a RBI infield single to plate Velez. Martin added another run, scoring Moberg on an RBI up the middle.
- Wisconsin Lutheran's offense stayed hot in the third inning as it retook the lead with a four-run inning. Sophomore Addison Gelande (Port Byron, Ill.) started the inning with her first home run of the season to center field. Senior Katie Scott (Sallisaw, Okla.) followed with a single and later scored to tie the game on a wild pitch. Hoy gave the Green and White the lead with a sacrifice fly. The Warriors capped off the scoring on an unearned run off RU's third error of the inning and carried a 9-7 lead after three innings of play.
- Rockford knotted the game in the fourth at 9-9 on a two-run double after the first two hitters had reached base but stranded the bases loaded to keep the game tied.
- The Regents took the lead for good at 12-9 in the bottom of the fifth inning after scoring three runs on four hits in the frame.
- WLC rallied to threaten in the top of the seventh. Wisconsin Lutheran added a run as Moberg scored on a Peterson RBI single, but the Green and White had a runner thrown out on the bases and left the tying run on first base as RU secured the game one victory.
- Peterson led the Warriors with four hits and a pair of RBI in the opener, while Martin reached base four times and collected four RBI. Moberg scored three runs.
- The Warriors applied pressure in the first with back-to-back singles from freshman Faith Ottens (Fulton, Ill.) and Peterson to start the game. After a pair of fielder's choices, Gelande gave WLC a 1-0 lead with a two-out ground-rule double.
- After a pair of scoreless frames, the Regents cracked the scoreboard in the third with a three-run home run to take a 3-1 lead.
- Wisconsin Lutheran cut the deficit in half in the fourth on a run-scoring double to center field from Velez to score Scott, who had reached base on a throwing error earlier in the inning.
- Rockford scored an insurance run in the fifth with a bases-loaded walk with one out in the inning, but freshman Melissa Tonn (West Allis, Wis.) kept the game close at 4-2 by escaping the jam with a strike out and infield groundout.
- The Green and White loaded the bases in the sixth inning with one out and scored a run on a sacrifice fly from Velez but stranded two runners on base in a 4-3 game.
- The Regents gained separation in their half of the sixth with a three-run inning. Rockford collected five hits in the inning and capitalized on a WLC error to lead 7-3.
- The Warriors rallied with two outs in the seventh as Peterson reached on a single and scored on an RBI double from Martin, but WLC left the tying run on deck as it dropped the 7-4 decision.
- Peterson and Martin each recorded two hits in the nightcap for Wisconsin Lutheran. Velez added a hit and two RBI of her own.
- The Warriors travel to Lisle, Illinois tomorrow afternoon for a NACC doubleheader against Benedictine (14-8, 4-4 NACC). First pitch is scheduled for 12 p.m. at the Benedictine Softball Field. Live coverage links will be available for both games at WLCSports.com.
