Pride win each end of doubleheader in extras; Gatto breaks strikeout record again

AURORA, Ill. - Getting back to action for the first time since Feb. 9, the Clarke University softball team was able to earn a pair of wins on Wednesday morning and afternoon with a doubleheader sweep over Trinity Christian College in a 2-1 win in game one and a 6-5 win in game two.

Both games went into extra innings as the Pride would score the game-winning run in the top of the eighth in each game, first in the opener on a double steal where Hannah Peña swiped second for Lauren Hefel to take home then in the finale, the CU baserunning produced the run again as Hannah Palzkill scored on a throwing error by the Trolls catcher.

In that 2-1 win in the opener, Meredith Gatto would once again break the school record for strikeouts by a pitcher in a game as she would break the record she already broke this season in her first start of the year when she had 14 by punching out 16 of the 24 outs in Wednesday morning's game. Gatto would tie her own record in the regulation seven innings then punch out two more in the eighth inning to seal the win in extras, including the final out of the game.

The first run in that game for Clarke came in the top of the third when Kendall Kasput singled and Kaylie Holtam would score on a throwing error by TCC's second baseman as the Trolls would tie the game in the bottom of the sixth on an RBI double.

The Pride got a big swing early in the second game of the double header as Kora Eng would blast a grand slam in the top of the third to give CU a 4-1 lead but Trinity Christian would come storming back in their next three offensive innings, eventually taking a 5-4 lead in the bottom of the fifth on a solo home run following tying the game in the fourth.

Holtam would tie the game back up for Clarke in the top of the sixth with a sacrifice fly that would score Reece Flemming, who was pinch running for Alicia Casas, who led off the inning with a single before Fleming would be advanced to second on a sacrifice bunt by Jenna Ulin and then to third on a TCC wild pitch.

Gatto would get back in the circle later in the fifth inning to add 3.2 more innings to her eight-inning performance in game one to throw 11.2 innings allowing just five hits, just two walks, one earned run and a total of 21 striekouts on the day.

Pride softball will have another fairly substantial layoff before they play again when they'll travel to Columbia, Mo. for a four-game weekend on Mar. 15-16 with doubleheaders on each day, first against Columbia College then against Stephens College.