The Maroons six-game winning streak came to an end on Tuesday this week, but they were able to rally for Senior Day the following day to sweep Elmhurst College. The squad finished up its season with this week’s games, ending with a record of 25–8. The NCAA Selection Show for the tournament is on Monday.
In a tough doubleheader on Tuesday, the Maroons were swept by the Illinois Wesleyan Titans. In game one, the first five innings were stagnant for both the Maroons and the Titans as neither team managed to get runs on the board. However, in the sixth inning, Illinois Wesleyan was able to put three runs across thanks to an error, which scored one run and put a runner on base. Two more earned runs gave Illinois Wesleyan its three for the game.
The Maroons put up an effort to respond to this late lead by their competitors and were able to put up a run thanks to fourth-year Kat Kohm’s bomb over the fence. Unfortunately, being the seventh inning, the lone run was not enough to get them back in the game and the match ended with the Maroons falling 1–3 against the Titans.
Game two against Illinois Wesleyan proved equally as tough. The Maroons looked more promising than they did in their first match as they went toe-to-toe with the Titans. Kohm again was responsible for her team’s only run in the first inning when she hit another solo homer to right field. However, Illinois Wesleyan responded in the bottom of the first inning by putting its own run on the board. The next two innings were unsuccessful for the Maroons. The Titans managed to put up two runs in the third inning bringing the score to 3–1 at the top of fourth.
Neither team scored in the fourth inning, but the fifth inning proved successful for both teams as the Maroons were able to drive in two runs while the Titans scored three of their own. The Maroons couldn’t overcome the deficit and the game ended 6–3. When asked on what could have gone better for the Maroons, first-year pitcher Jordyne Prussak emphasized their ability to make changes during the game. She said that “better adjustments could have been made earlier in both games on the offensive side.”
The Maroons were able to turn things around Wednesday as they swept the Elmhurst Bluejays during Senior Day. In their first game, an incredible offensive effort was brought by the Maroons. Prussak, who pitched the Elmhurst game, said that “to turn around after Wesleyan, we brought a lot more focus and enthusiasm to the Elmhurst games.” The Bluejays were unable to respond offensively in the first match and fell to the Maroons 0–5. UChicago ended up with eight hits, led by fourth-year Jordan Poole’s 3-for-3 performance at the plate. Third-year Maggie O’Hara also went 2-for-3.
The second match of the doubleheader was another great show by the Maroons. Within the first inning of the game, the Maroons tallied four runs while Elmhurst was unable to respond. In the second inning, the South Siders kept attacking and posted six more against Elmhurst’s lone run. Although the squad did not put any more runs on the board, its early offensive explosion made it impossible for the Bluejays to put up much of a fight. Scoring four runs in the fifth inning was not enough for Elmhurst and it fell 14–5 to the home team.
Also on Wednesday, Chicago honored its four fourth-years, who have led the program to an 83–53 record, which includes a trip to the post-season. These fourth-years are Kohm, Poole, Kristin Lopez, and Devan Parkison. The Maroons were able to send these four leaders off with a couple of wins, but they certainly aren’t planning on ending their season this week.
The Maroons’ season record now stands at 25–8, and they are now ranked number two in the region. NCAA tournament selections come out Monday at noon, and the Maroons are eager to know what postseason play lies ahead for them and are looking forward to hopefully playing some competitive teams.
