WHEATON, Ill. - The Elmhurst University softball team battled to a doubleheader split against Wheaton College on Saturday (April 5), riding a dominant offensive showing to an 8–3 victory in Game 1 before falling 5–2 in a tighter Game 2 matchup.

Elmhurst wasted no time asserting themselves in Game 1, striking first in the opening inning when Clara Rice lifted a sacrifice fly to right, scoring Bailey Proffitt and giving the Bluejays a 1–0 lead. The offense came alive again in the third, beginning with a Danielle Hood RBI single that brought in Brenna Morley. Rice followed with a booming triple to right-center to score Hood, and Bella Swift capped the inning with an RBI single to stretch the lead to 4–0.

The fourth inning saw more trouble for Wheaton as Elmhurst capitalized on defensive miscues. Proffitt doubled in a run before Hood drove home two more with a line-drive triple down the left field line. By the end of the frame, the Bluejays led 7-0. Though Wheaton got two runs back in the bottom half on a Soleil Weaver RBI single and an aggressive play that saw a runner thrown out at the plate, the damage was already done. Elmhurst added one more insurance run in the sixth via a Rice RBI single, and despite a late RBI hit from Wheaton's Abie Brown, the Bluejays closed it out 8–3.

Rice finished the opener with a 2-for-3 performance, collecting three RBIs and a triple. Hood also drove in three and added two hits, including a triple. Bailey Proffitt scored twice, had two hits, and added a double. Kylie Hoyh earned the save after tossing three effective innings to open the game, while Hood notched the win with four innings of relief.

The second game started in stark contrast to the first. Wheaton came out aggressive, and Cate Welch delivered the first blow—a two-run homer to right-center in the top of the first. Elmhurst responded with a run in the second, as Alex Kiriakopoulos grounded out to drive in Josie Waite, who had reached on an error. However, Wheaton added three more in the third, capitalizing on small-ball and clutch hitting. A bunt from Brown scored one, followed by a two-RBI single up the middle from Abby Whitehead, giving the Thunder a 5–1 cushion.

Elmhurst showed signs of life in the bottom of the third when Brenna Morley scored on a wild pitch, but that would be their final run. Despite putting runners on in later innings, the Bluejays couldn't push any more across. Pitcher Shylah Dozeman held Elmhurst to just six hits and struck out eight in a complete-game win.

In a quieter offensive outing for Elmhurst, Morley, Rice, and Waite each had a hit and a run scored, while Maddie Kriech added a late double off the bench. Despite a rocky two-inning start, Ali Mockenhaupt took the loss, while Emma Lenczewski provided five scoreless frames in relief to keep Elmhurst within striking distance.

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