The Maroons played back-to-back doubleheaders at home this weekend, facing North Park on Friday and North Central on Saturday. The South Siders went 4–1 this weekend, dropping only one to North Central and improving their overall record to an impressive 16–5.
On Friday, Chicago dominated in the first game to secure an 8–0 victory after six innings of play against the North Park Vikings. Fourth-year pitcher Jordan Poole impressed on the mound, improving her record to 3–2. In six innings, she got six strikeouts and only allowed two hits and one walk. The victory marked her second shutout of the season and the fourth by Chicago overall.
The South Siders were victorious again in the second game, winning 4–1. It was a career day for fourth-year outfielder Devan Parkinson, who stole two bases to tie the school record for total stolen bases at 60. Third-year third baseman Maggie O’Hara and fourth-year shortstop Kristin Lopez followed Parkinson’s lead, with one and two steals, respectively.
The pair of wins against North Park extended Chicago’s winning streak at home to five consecutive games. The squad quickly rallied after a long day on Friday to do it again on Saturday against North Central.
Chicago dropped game one to the Vikings 9–5 in a heartbreaking loss. Down by five, the South Siders rallied to tie the game in the sixth inning on a grand slam by first-year Maeve Garvey to bring in four runs.
“As a team we had been hitting North Central’s pitcher pretty hard, so when I came up in the bottom of the sixth with bases loaded all I was trying to do was get a base hit to keep the momentum of the inning going,” said Garvey. “Being able to come through with not only a hit but a grand slam to tie the game in that situation was an unbelievable feeling. As soon as the ball went out I know I was hit with a second wind of energy and excitement, and based on the reactions from my teammates who met me back at home plate I could tell that they were just as pumped up and ready to go and shut out North Central in the top of the seventh.
Despite the valiant comeback, another grand slam in the top of the eighth, this time by the visiting team, handed the Maroons a disappointing defeat.
“We knew we could not get swept,” Garvey said on the team’s mentality after the loss. “No matter what it took we were going to get a win in game two.”
And that they did, as the Maroons reconvened in the second game of the day to secure a 2–1 victory over the Vikings, capped off by an action-packed final inning.
Second-year Molly Moran, who improved her record to 5–2 on the season, held the visitors scoreless until the seventh, when, with bases loaded, a passed ball brought in a runner from third.
Now down by one in the final inning, the South Siders’ underclassmen maintained their composure to earn the win. A double to left field by first-year Colleen Bennett followed by an RBI double by first-year Serena Moss brought in one run for the home team. Then, Parkinson’s single, complimented by Moss’s speed, brought in Moss from second to score the game-winning run.
Chicago’s next pair of games will be against Aurora University at home today at 3 p.m. and 5 p.m, followed by another home doubleheader against Hope on Thursday at 3 p.m. and 5 p.m.
