For the sixth straight season in the Northern Athletics Collegiate Conference the Aurora University Spartan softball team and the Eagles of Benedictine University squared off in the winner's bracket game on day two of the tournament. The Spartans behind a solid pitching performance from Vanessa Hartzell and timely hitting defeated Benedictine 3-0.

The first two innings saw both teams put runners on base and in scoring position but neither could capitalize. Both of the Benedictine hits in the game against Hartzell came in the two innings before she settled in and only allowed one base runner, a walk in the seventh, over the final five innings.

With Hartzell controlling the BU bats, the Spartan offense sprung to life. AU got three hits in the third inning with a two-out single from Steph Starr scoring Logan Cahill for the first and only run the Spartans would need.

AU senior catcher Vanessa Wegner led off the fourth inning with a solo home run for the second run of the game and in the sixth inning the Spartans took advantage of two BU errors to score an unearned run. Wegner singled with one out and had Angel Guerra run for her. The next AU hitter, Taylor Moore reached on an error by the Eagle Pitcher Haberkorn. The error allowed Guerra to come all the way around the bases for the third and final run of the game.

Hartzell allowed a runner in the seventh with a lead-off walk but she got a strikeout and two ground outs to finish off the Eagles. She would finish the game with six strikeouts in winning her 17th game of the year (17-5).

With the win, AU is now 34-6 overall. Next action for the Spartan softball team comes on Saturday, May 2, 2015 when they travel to Alverno College for the 2015 Northern Athletics Collegiate Conference Tournament Championship. Game time is set for 11:00 a.m. in Milwaukee, Wisconsin against #2 Benedictine University or #3 Concordia University Wisconsin.