MILWAUKEE -- The Alverno College softball team was all business at the plate in a pair of convincing Northern Athletics Conference victories over Maranatha Baptist Bible College, shutting out the Crusaders, 17-0, on 14 hits in the first game and picking up the 17-6 victory off 10 hits in game two at Alverno Field with both games concluding after five innings.

The Inferno (7-11, 2-2 NAC) cruised to a smooth shutout victory in the first game behind the arm of senior pitcher Jessica Goetz (Milwaukee, Wis./Greendale Martin Luther), who retired four batters and gave up just one hit on a close play at first base in three innings in the circle. However, the second game did not come quite so easily for the host squad.

The Crusaders struck quickly against Inferno freshman pitcher Jamie Villalobos (Antioch, Ill.), who got the start in the second game, notching two runs off a pair of doubles to get on the board in the first inning before exploding for four runs on six hits in the second inning to tie the game at six runs apiece. An Inferno miscue in the second inning proved costly as well, as a throwing error on a 2 RBI double by the Crusaders' Sadie Joutras (Crest Hill, Ill.) sent Joutras home for Maranatha's third run of the inning with two outs. One more run would score before Goetz returned to the circle to tally a strikeout and end the inning.

"We had a misjudged ball in the outfield that led to a couple of unearned runs and brought that score a lot closer," said Alverno head coach Kristin Kosobucki. "But, we were able to stay aggressive at the plate and come back offensively."

Alverno's response to the tie game was indeed impressive, as the Inferno racked up five runs in the third inning highlighted by a 3 RBI double by junior short stop Megan Burgess (Racine, Wis./Park) that nearly cleared the fence.

"Megan definitely had a key hit in the third inning," Kosobucki said. "She hit the top of the fence on that one. Andrea Derrick also had a great second game at the plate, and we were able to execute on their errors, which helped us offensively."

In addition to Burgess, who finished the second game with five RBI on two hits, freshman outfielder Bre Hart (Racine, Wis./Park) added a double for one of her two hits, while Derrick (Greenfield, Wis.) chipped in two hits and an RBI and freshman outfielder Alisha Janikowski (Milwaukee, Wis./Cudahy) recorded her first collegiate hit with a 2 RBI single in the fifth inning.

In the first game, it was Hart and freshman third baseman Natalie Petrie (Franklin, Wis.) who helped the Inferno rack up the runs, tallying five and four RBI, respectively. In addition to a solid pitching performance in both games to bring her up to 7-8 on the year, Goetz also belted her second home run of the season for one of her two hits. Villalobos and Burgess also added two hits and an RBI apiece.

"It was great for us to get those two wins under our belt and make some defensive adjustments from our last games," said Kosobucki, whose team allowed just one error in both games combined compared with five in each game in the Inferno's previous outing against Concordia Chicago. "Those games against CUC were a little rough for us, and defensively I thought they played excellent today which was great to see knowing that tomorrow's games will be two tough games."

Alverno will now travel to Benedictine University on Saturday, April 10, for another NAC doubleheader, in hopes of landing another pair of victories against a strong squad.

"Again, we'll have to come out hitting right away and stay solid on defense," Kosobucki said. "I think if we can do that, we have a good chance of coming away with two more wins."

First pitch tomorrow is set for 12 p.m. in Lisle, Ill.