Aurora University Athletics

The Aurora University Spartan softball team swept both games played on day two of the 2018 Northern Athletics Collegiate Conference Tournament as AU faced elimination in both contests. The Spartans defeated MSOE 4-3 in game one before blowing out the top seeded Sabres of Marian 14-4 in 6 innings.

GAME INFORMATION – Friday, May 4
Game One - Boxscore | Game Two - Boxscore
Game One Score: #3 Aurora University 4, #5 Milwaukee School of Engineering 3
Game Two Score: #3 Aurora University 14, #1 Marian University 4 - 6 innings
Records: Aurora University (28-16)
Location: Milwaukee, Wisconsin - Alverno College

GAME ONE - HOW IT HAPPENED
- The Spartans left runners on base including the bases loaded in the second but the game remained scoreless heading to the fourth.
- MSOE hit a pair of doubles in the fourth to take a 1-0 lead on Spartan pitcher Steph Renner.
- AU answered immediately as Ashley Pittman led off the bottom of the inning with a long home run to right field.
- After a Lara Salazar single and Elaine Walker double, Josie Bachtell hit a no-doubter well over the left field fence and AU led 4-1.
- The Spartans went on to load the bases again but left them stranded while leading 4-1.
- Two hits and two AU errors in the fifth led to one MSOE run but Renner wiggled out of a bases loaded jam to keep the AU lead at 4-2.
- For the third time in the game the Spartans loaded the bases in the fifth but were unable to add to their lead.
- A solo home run in the sixth pulled MSOE within one.
- MSOE threatened in the top of the seventh as they had the bases loaded with no outs. Renner induced back to back ground balls back to her with the second starting a 1-2-3 double play to end the game and give AU the 4-3 elimination game win.

GAME TWO - HOT IT HAPPENED
- AU scored and score a lot in game two against Marian, the top seed.
- The top of the first saw Elaine Walker reach on an error, Bachtell singled and Nina Tholl singled to score Walker. The next batter Sam Owens hit a long home run to center and AU led 4-0. The move forced the first of several Sabre pitching changes in the game.
- The Spartans went to Renner again in the circle for game two. Marian got two on the bases and Renner kept the AU lead at 4-0.
- AU embarked on a two-out rally in the second. Tholl singled and scored on an Owens single with a Marian error allowing Tholl to circle the bases. The next Spartan, Abbey Rosenow hit a towering bomb of a home run to right center and AU now led 7-0.
- In the third, Anni Wilson tripled with one out and scored on a Brianna Lewis single.
- AU added two more runs in the top of the fourth to lead 10-0 and the mercy rule was within range.
- Marian was able to get on the board in the bottom of the fifth as they faced the game ending early The Sabres scored four times to extend the game.
- The Spartans would have no more of a full game though. AU responded in the top of the sixth with four more runs to push the lead back to 10 at 14-4. Three Spartan singles and a pair of walks did the damage.
- Renner kept Marian scoreless in the bottom of the sixth and AU was victorious and advanced in the NACC Tournament with a 14-4 win.

SPARTAN DAY LEADERS:
HITTING
HITS: Sam Owens, Nina Tholl and Abbey Rosenow (4)
HOME RUN: Sam Owens, Josie Bachtell, Ashley Pittman and Abbey Rosenow (1)
TRIPLE: Anni Wilson (1)
DOUBLE: Lara Salazar, Brianna Lewis and Elaine Walker (1)
RUNS: Sam Owens (3)
RUNS BATTED IN: Sam Owens, Ashley Pittman and Josie Bachtell (3)

PITCHING
APPEARANCES (INNINGS): Steph Renner (13.0)
DECISIONS: Steph Renner (win x 2 - 13-4)
STRIKEOUTS: Steph Renner (9)
 
UP NEXT
Next action for the Spartan softball team comes on Saturday, May 5 when they compete in the Northern Athletics Collegiate Conference Tournament. AU is the No. 3 seed and will take on No. 4 Concordia Chicago. Game time is set 9:00 a.m. in Milwaukee, Wisconsin at Alverno College..