Box Score 1 | Box Score 2 The Aurora University softball team swept a big Northern Athletics Collegiate Conference doubleheader from the rival Eagles of Benedictine University, winning 7-2 and 6-3 at BU on Wednesday afternoon.

Game One
Aurora 7
Benedictine 2

The Spartans jumped out to an early lead and coasted to the 7-2 win over BU. Vanessa Hartzell improved her record to 5-5 on the season with the complete game, allowing two runs, seven hits and struck out seven.

AU scored the first run in the first inning with a pair of singles from freshmen Mandey Schrader and Laura Dierking and fellow freshman Steph Starr grounded out to score Schrader for the 1-0 lead.

In the fifth inning, AU took advantage of the BU defense with Lauren Huebner reaching on an error and scored when Schrader singled two batters later.

AU extended their lead in the sixth with a one out double from Starr and she scored two batters later on a single from Logan Cahill. Huebner doubled with two outs to score two more Spartans for a 5-0 lead.

BU scored in the sixth off Hartzell with a run on two hits.

The Spartans were not done scoring though as they got two more runs in the seventh inning. Starr hit a two-out triple to score Schrader and Starr then came around to score on a throwing error by the BU second baseman.

BU got a run in the seventh but was too little too late as AU won 7-2.

Game Two
Aurora 6
Benedictine 3

AU fell behind in game two as BU got two runs, one each in the first two innings off Spartan starting pitcher Natalie Zanella.

Trailing by two, the Spartan offense exploded in the top of the third inning, scoring five times to take a 5-2 lead. Schrader led off with a walk which was followed by a Dierking single and senior Sarah Clauser reached on an error to load the bases. Starr struck once again, singling to scored Schrader and Dierking to tie the game 2-2. With two outs, Cahill singled to score Clauser and Starr and one batter later, Cahill scored on a double from Dani Bestwina.

AU added to the lead in the sixth with Schrader hitting a two-out triple with Dierking following with a run scoring single and a 6-2 lead.

BU did make the game interesting in the bottom of the seventh. They got a two-out single to score to cut the lead to 6-3. After a single allowed the tying run to come to the plate, AU Head Coach Mike McKenzie called on Hartzell to come in relief of Zanella. Hartzell struck out the only batter she would need to face for the save and allowing Zanella to improve her record to 6-3 on the season.

With the sweep, AU is now 12-8 overall and 6-0 in the NACC. Next action for the Spartan softball team comes on Thursday, April 10 when they travel to Lakeland College. Game one is set for 4:00 p.m. in Plymouth, Wis.