Hot Hitting Fuels Softball to Doubleheader Sweep of North Park

CHICAGO -- The University of Chicago softball team picked up a doubleheader sweep of North Park on Thursday night to extend its win streak to three straight.

Following a run in the first inning by the Vikings, the Maroons bounced back, loading the bases on three consecutive singles by

Audrey Hui,

Natalie Antin, and

Matilda Nelson.

Olivia Cataldo then stepped up and ripped a single into left field, and after the ball got past the left fielder, all three runners came around to score to put the Maroons in front 3-1.

UChicago tacked on another run in the fourth after a single by Antin, a stolen base and wild pitch to allow the pinch runner,

Ashlee Boodoo, to reach third, and a sacrifice fly by Nelson. North Park answered with a run of their own in the fifth inning, but UChicago responded once more with an RBI single by Hui to bring home

Madeline Murphy.

In the seventh inning, the Maroons tacked on to seal the victory with four more runs.

Anna Jensen singled home

Melana Badea,

Eleanor Johnson singled home Jensen,

Hannah Schwager brought home Johnson after a North Park error, and Hui singled home Schwager to cap off the 9-2 victory.

In the circle,

Nicole Wong earned her fifth win of the season after throwing 5.0 innings wth two runs allowed. Johnson earned the save with 2.0 shutout innings in relief for the Maroons.

In the second game of the doubleheader, neither team recorded a hit through the first three frames with only two baserunners combined. However, in the fourth inning, the UChicago offense broke through.

Natalie Antin led off the inning with a double down the right field line, and

Audrey Hui reached on an error to put two runners in scoring position. Then,

Olivia Cataldo stepped up and walloped a ball over the left field wall to give UChicago a 3-0 lead. Later in the inning,

Nanako Schroth came through in the clutch with a two-out, RBI double to stretch the lead to 4-0.

North Park got a run back with a solo home run in the bottom of the fourth inning, but Cataldo answered back once more as she ripped her second home run of the game over the left field wall to give the Maroons the 5-1 advantage.

The UChicago pitching was stellar in the second game as

Alana Kimball earned the win with 4.0 innings and only one run allowed.

Marisa Lloveras then shut down the Vikings with 3.0 shutout innings and only one hit allowed to earn the save and seal the 5-1 victory.

With the wins, the Maroons improve to 13-18 overall on the season. UChicago will take the weekend off before returning to action on Tuesday as the Maroons welcome Carthage to the Stagg Grass Field on Tuesday, April 28.