BLOOMINGTON, Ill. - The Elmhurst University softball team dropped a pair of tightly contested contests to College Conference of Illinois and Wisconsin leader Illinois Wesleyan on Saturday afternoon.

Elmhurst (15-18, 6-8 CCIW) led late in game one, heading into the bottom of the seventh inning with a two-run lead, but was unable to keep the lead as the Titans (21-12, 11-1 CCIW) scored a pair in the seventh to send the game to extras, and walked the game off on a two-run home run in the eighth inning to give the hosts a 4-2 victory. In game two, the Bluejays kept the fight going by responding to the Titans runs, but again fell short in the late innings, falling 4-3 in the second game.

Bailey Proffitt got the scoring started in game one, knocking a sacrifice fly to put the Bluejays ahead 1-0 in the second inning. Proffitt again came through in the sixth, adding another run after reaching base on a fielding error that allowed Brenna Morley to cross the plate, giving Elmhurst a 2-0 lead heading into the final inning. 

The Titans cut into the lead with a solo home run, and knotted the game at two with a sacrifice fly, sending the game into extra innings. The Bluejays failed to plate a run in the top of the eighth, opening the door for the Titans to knock a two-run walk-off home run, giving the conference leader the 4-2 victory in the opener.

Chiara O'Leary pitched all 7.2 innings for Elmhurst, striking out seven Titans and giving up four runs (two earned), taking the loss in the circle and dropping to 6-7 on the season. Jackie Orel had a pair of base hits in the opener, going 2-for-3 with a walk in game one, while Proffitt earned one RBI in the contest.

In game two, the Titans started the scoring with a two-run home run in the first inning to jump ahead, but an Orel single in the bottom of the inning allowed Reese Coon to score, cutting the home team's lead to one. The Titans again extended their lead to two in the second, but the Bluejays cut the deficit back to one with a bases-loaded walk from Ali Mockenhaupt.

Scoring went silent in the fourth inning before Illinois Wesleyan knocked a solo home run to center field, moving the deficit to two for Elmhurst, but Mockenhaupt kept the Bluejay fight, hitting a single up the middle to score Hannah Dunk and move the score to 4-3 in favor of the hosts. Elmhurst, however, was unable to rally in the final two innings, allowing the Titans to earn the doubleheader sweep with a 4-3 victory in game two. 

Brianna Pisauro took the loss in the circle, moving to 7-8 on the season after giving up all four Titan runs. O'Leary entered the circle in relief, keeping the Bluejays in the game with 2.2 innings of scoreless softball, giving up just one hit and adding a pair of strikeouts. 

UP NEXT

Elmhurst will wrap up their conference schedule this weekend, taking on Millikin University in a doubleheader beginning at 1:00 p.m. CT on Saturday, May 6 in Decatur, Ill.

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