MILWAUKEE -- Errors proved costly for the Alverno College softball team in its Northern Athletics Conference doubleheader with Dominican University as the Inferno dropped the set to the Stars, 8-0 and 16-2, on Wednesday afternoon at home.
Although the Inferno (4-19, 2-15 NAC) were held scoreless in the first game with only two hits to speak of, the contest remained in a 0-0 deadlock heading into the top of the fourth inning. With two outs in the fourth, junior pitcher Jessica Goetz (Milwaukee/Greendale Martin Luther) had thrown a gem of a game, scattering four hits over 3.2 scoreless innings. She was about to escape the inning until a pair of infield errors extended it, bringing up the Stars' top hitter, Carolyn Rogers, who promptly nailed a grand slam over the fence. That hit gave way to a seven-run blitz in the inning that ultimately slammed the door on the game.
Goetz went on to finish the game in the circle, pitching all six innings with two strikeouts and just two runs earned. She also tacked on one of the Inferno's two hits for the game while sophomore short stop Megan Burgess (Racine/Park) registered the other.
Alverno was able to muster a bit more offense late in the second game, but couldn't find an answer to the Stars' starting pitcher, Jori Cicale, who tossed three hitless innings. Unfortunately, offense was one thing the Stars were not short on, as 13 hits paired with three defensive miscues by the Inferno resulted in a 6-1 lead for Dominican at the close of three innings. The Stars racked up eight more runs in the fourth inning to put the game out of reach.
After senior catcher Rebecca Schmid (Tigerton) broke the day's shutout with a run in the first inning after reaching on a walk, the Inferno were able to string together three hits in the bottom of the fourth to tack on another run for the day. Goetz, freshman Rosaliz David (Milwaukee/Hamilton) and sophomore Jenna Palmer each tallied a single in the inning off the Star's relieving pitcher, Carissa Stewart.
Goetz suffered the loss in the circle in the second game as well, giving up eight hits and eight earned runs out of the 12 on the board at that point before she was relieved by senior Andrea Spindler (Greendale) partway through the fourth inning. Spindler finished the game, forfeiting five hits and four runs.
The Inferno will continue NAC play at home tomorrow, as they plan to finally complete their doubleheader with Benedictine University. Alverno dropped the first game of the set, 12-2, back on April 13 before the second game was postponed on account of poor weather conditions.
First pitch for the single game with the Eagles is set for 4 p.m.
