Softball Splits Senior Day Twinbill with NYU

CHICAGO -- The University of Chicago softball team split its final home doubleheader on Saturday with a 9-7 loss and an 11-3 win over New York University.

NYU had a great chance to strike first with a leadoff walk and double to put two runners in scoring position with no outs, but

Alana Kimball got out of the jam with a pair of infield popups and a strikeout to end the threat. In the bottom of the inning,

Madeline Murphy walked, and

Natalie Antin singled and stole second, putting runners at second and third with no outs. The Maroons pushed one run across on a sacrifice fly by

Olivia Cataldo to take a 1-0 lead.

The Violets tacked on three runs in the second inning, three more runs in the third inning, and one more run in the fourth inning to take a 7-1 lead. In the fifth,

Sedona Ding reached on an error, Antin walked, and

Audrey Hui was hit by a pitch, loading the bases with one out.

Olivia Cataldo then lofted a 2-0 pitch deep over the right-field wall, clearing the bases for a grand slam, cutting the NYU lead to two.

NYU stole the momentum right back in the sixth with a two-run home run, their fourth home run of the game, which tied their total from the first 37 games of the season, to extend their lead back to four. The Maroons tacked on two more in the sixth with a single by Ding, a double by Murphy, an RBI single by Antin, and a sacrifice fly by Hui, but the comeback attempt fell short with a 9-7 loss.

In the second game, the Violets took advantage of more UChicago miscues in the first inning, pushing three runs across, continuing their momentum from game one.

Madeline Murphy and

Natalie Antin responded immediately with back-to-back doubles to put UChicago on the board in the first. Then, in the second, the Maroons rallied with two outs. After the first two batters were retired,

Anna Jensen doubled,

Sedona Ding walked, and Murphy launched her first home run of the season over the left-center field wall to put the Maroons on top 4-3. On the very next pitch, Antin continued the party with her first home run of the season, stretching the lead to 5-3.

In the fourth inning, Murphy reached for the third time with a hit by pitch, stole second, and scored on an RBI double by

Audrey Hui to make it 6-3 UChicago. Following a pair of walks by

Mia Bocian and

Brianna Leech to open the fifth inning,

Anna Jensen ripped a two-run single down the left-field line, and

Hannah Schwager added an RBI double into left center. Then, after a single and a stolen base by Murphy,

Natalie Antin walked it off with a two-run double to seal the 11-3 senior-day victory.

During the offensive onslaught by the Maroons,

Nicole Wong was dominant in her senior day start in the circle, retiring 13 of the final 15 batters she faced after allowing three unearned runs in the opening frame. Wong finished with her second win of the weekend, throwing 5.0 innings with only three hits allowed in the complete-game victory.

Madeline Murphy and

Natalie Antin led the offensive attack at the top of the UChicago order as the duo combined to go 10-12 at the plate with six extra-base hits, eight runs scored, and eight RBIs.

Audrey Hui and

Anna Jensen also added multiple hits in the doubleheader.

With the split, the Maroons move to 17-19 overall and 5-10 in UAA play. UChicago returns to action next weekend as the Maroons travel to Massachusetts for their final series of the season against Brandeis.