[Softball] St. Ambrose splits two at Cardinal Stritch

Allison Polly and Kaitlyn Sandora had back-to-back two-out RBI singles in the sixth inning to help St. Ambrose rally for an 8-7 win over Cardinal Stritch in a CCAC doubleheader in Milwaukee, Wis., Monday afternoon. An SAU rally in the second game came up a little short as the Wolves salvaged a split with a 7-6 win.

The Bees built a 6-2 lead through three innings in the opener before Cardinal Stritch (13-5, 10-8 CCAC) pushed across five runs in the fifth to grab a 7-6 lead.

But in the top of the sixth, St. Ambrose rallied.

Pinch hitter Cassie Sprout drew a walk to start the inning and promptly stole second. Kayla Stenger walked, and with two outs, Colleen Barrett singled to center to load the bases. Polly followed with her single to left to score Sprout and Sandora then singled to center to score Natalie Desmond, who was pinch running for Stenger, to put the Bees back in front 8-7.

Alyia Oliver made that lead hold up. She earned the save by surrendering just a single walk over the final two scoreless innings.

Erica Ralfs got the win after working the first five innings. 

Ralfs was also one of three Bees with two hits in Game 1, joining Barrett and Sandora. Sandora drove in three runs, Barrett knocked in two, and Polly and Ralfs each had one RBI. Aleah Wight scored two runs in the win.

The second game followed a similar script. SAU built an early lead, this time holding leads of 2-0 and 4-3. Cardinal Stritch used a big fifth inning to take a 7-4 lead. Then St. Ambrose rallied late, but this time came up a run short.

Down three in the seventh, SAU used a lead-off walk from Stenger and a Wight triple to cut the deficit to 7-5. Barrett walked and stole second to put the potential tying and go-ahead runs in scoring position. With two outs, Sandora singled to right to score Wight, but Barrett was thrown out at the plate to end the game.

Oliver and Olivia McClintock each had three hits in the loss. Two of McClintock's hits went for extra bases.

Oliver took the loss after pitching the first five innings. Ralfs threw a scoreless sixth frame.

The Bees, now 13-5 overall and 7-3 in the CCAC, will return home to host Trinity International in a CCAC doubleheader Wednesday beginning at 4 p.m.