Aurora University Athletics

The Aurora University softball team swept a NACC doubleheader with Edgewood College on a cool and damp Sunday afternoon, winning both games by the mercy rule, 12-2 and 13-0.

GAME ONE
GAME INFORMATION – Sunday, April 10, 2016
Score: Aurora University 12, Edgewood College 2 - 5 innings
Records: Aurora University (17-6; 7-0 NACC) vs. Edgewood College (8-13; 2-5 NACC)
Location: Montgomery, Illinois. – Stuart Sports Complex
Game Time: 1:21
Weather: 43 degrees, cloudy and breezy
 
SPARTAN STARTING LINE UP:
1. #30 Mandey Shrader - 2B
2. #21 Laura Dierking - DP
3. #9 Larkin Langston - SS
4. #13 Elaine Walker - C
5. #5 Stephanie Starr - CF
6. #12 Amie Raynor - RF
7. #10 Logan Cahill - 1B
8  #3 Lauren Huebner - LF
9. #44 Taylor Moore - 3B
10. #27 Vanessa Hartzell - pitcher
 
SPARTAN HIGHLIGHTS
Elaine Walker was three for three with a home run, one double, three runs batted in and one run scored.
Laura Dierking was two for two with three runs batted in and two runs scored.
Mandey Shrader was three for four with two doubles, two runs scored and one run batted in.
Larkin Langston was two for three with two doubles, two runs batted in and one run scored.
Taylor Moore was one for two with a home run, two runs scored and one run batted in.
Vanessa Hartzell earned the victory, allowing two runs, four hits and struck out nine.
Josie Bachtell pitched the final inning, striking out two.

HOW IT HAPPENED
The Spartan bats went to work immediately in game one of the doubleheader. Mandey Shrader led off with a double and scored on a single from Laura Dierking. Dierking later scored in the inning on a single from Elaine Walker. AU led 2-0.
In the second, AU smacked out six hits and took advantage of three Edgewood errors to score eight times. In the middle of the inning, Walker and Steph Starr hit back to back home runs with a pitching change happening between the bombs.
Edgewood got to AU pitcher Vanessa Hartzell in the third inning, getting two runs on three hits with one AU error.
After a scoreless third inning, AU gave themselves some insurance runs with a pair in the fourth inning. Taylor Moore hit a one out home run and after a Shrader double, Grace Riley pinch ran and scored on a Larkin Langston double.
Josie Bachtell came on to close out the fifth inning in the circle and give AU the 12-2 win.

SPARTAN LEADERS:
HITS:  Elaine Walker and Mandey Shrader (3), Larkin Langston and Laura Dierking (2)
DOUBLES: Mandey Shrader and Larkin Langston (2) and Elaine Walker (1)
HOME RUN: Elaine Walker, Steph Starr and Taylor Moore (1)
RUNS: Mandey Shrader, Laura Dierking and Taylor Moore (2)
RUNS BATTED IN: Laura Dierking and Elaine Walker (3) and Larkin Langston (2)                                                                                            

GAME TWO -
GAME INFORMATION – Sunday, April 10, 2016
Score: Aurora University 13, Edgewood College 0 - 5 innings
Records: Aurora University (18-6; 8-0 NACC) vs. Edgewood College (8-14; 2-6 NACC)
Location: Montgomery, Illinois. – Stuart Sports Complex
Game Time: 1:12
Weather: 43 degrees, cloudy and drizzle throughout
 
SPARTAN STARTING LINE UP:
1. #30 Mandey Shrader - 2B
2. #21 Laura Dierking - RF
3. #9 Larkin Langston - SS
4. #13 Elaine Walker - DP
5. #5 Stephanie Starr - CF
6. #12 Amie Raynor - 1B
7. #10 Logan Cahill - 3B
8  #3 Lauren Huebner - LF
9. #23 Ashley Pittman - C
10. #14 Britni Wilson - pitcher

SPARTAN HIGHLIGHTS
11 different Spartans collected a hit, scored one run and drove in a run in the game.
Amie Raynor was two for two with two doubles, two runs scored and one run batted in.
Britni Wilson earned the win, allowing no runs and no hits while striking out two in four innings.

HOW IT HAPPENED
After a scoreless first inning, AU opened up in the second. With one out, Steph Starr reached on an error and the Spartans followed with five hits and took advantage of a second Eagle error to score six times.
Taking advantage of Edgewood miscues was on the slate again in the third inning for AU. A lead off double from Amie Raynor was followed by an error which allowed her to score and later in the inning, Logan Cahill came around to score after she reached on the error.
The Spartans scored five more times in the fourth inning, batting around with six hits and one Eagle error.
Edgewood got their first hit of the game in the top of the fifth inning but the AU shutout remained in place.

SPARTAN LEADERS:
HITS: Amie Raynor (2)
DOUBLES: Amie Raynor (2) and TaylorMoore (1)
RUNS: Amie Raynor and Logan Cahill (2)
RUNS BATTED IN: Laura Dierking (2)  
 
UP NEXT
Next action for the Spartan softball team comes on Wednesday, April 13 when they travel to Benedictine University. First pitch of the doubleheader is scheduled for 3:00 p.m. in Lisle, Illinois.