MILWAUKEE -- Jessica Goetz was determined not to go down without a fight on Senior Day.  The Alverno College softball team's lone senior battled through over 19 innings in the circle in both games of the squad's doubleheader with Edgewood College, even dealing some of her best stuff to help to force a 15-inning marathon in the first game, but it wasn't quite enough to lift the Inferno to victory as the home squad dropped both games with scores of 6-4 and 8-3 at Alverno Field.

The first game set a league record for the longest game in history between two NAC teams. Benedictine University holds the record for the longest game played by a single conference team, going 16 innings in a non-conference match with Wheaton College back on April 23, 2007.

Goetz (Milwaukee, Wis./Greendale Martin Luther) threw every single pitch of the Inferno's extended first game, tying her own record for the No. 2 spot for most strikeouts in a game with 15 punchouts while allowing 17 hits with just one walk and two earned runs. She went on to add four more strikeouts in 4.2 innings of work in game two before being relieved by freshman Jamie Villalobos (Antioch, Ill.) for the remainder of the game.

"It was a good game," said Goetz of the extra inning battle. "I thought it would never end. I feel like a grandma because I'm so sore!"

Edgewood's main arm, freshman Claire Blake (Milwaukee, Wis.), can't be feeling much more energetic than Goetz, as she delivered all 15 frames of the first game in addition to returning to close out the final 1.2 innings of the second game.

Edgewood struck first in the opener, tallying two runs in the third inning. Alverno answered with a run of its own on a RBI single by Villalobos, scoring freshman second baseman Roxanne Kresmer (South Milwaukee, Wis.) who had reached on a double.

The Inferno took a 3-2 lead with two more runs in the fifth inning after sophomore right fielder Shataya McComb (Kingston, N.Y.) and freshman center fielder Bre Hart (Racine, Wis./Park) strung together a pair of singles to reach base. Villalobos again would come through with a key hit, lacing a single to right field to score both McComb and Hart from third and second base after Kresmer advanced them by reaching on an error.

Alverno would score just one more time in the game in the eighth inning on a sacrifice fly by junior left fielder Andrea Derrick (Greenfield, Wis.), scoring freshman catcher Stef Wilmore (Elkhart, Ind./Central) who had originally reached on a single. That run knotted up the game at four runs apiece between the teams after the Eagles added a run in the sixth and eighth innings.

From there, both Goetz and Blake battled through six scoreless frames, with the Inferno notching five hits and stranding eight on base in that time period. Edgewood would finally break the tie at the top of the 15th, taking advantage of an Alverno error to score twice off two hits. The Inferno attempted to mount a two-out rally with a pair of singles by Kresmer and Villalobos, but stranded them on base as well to bring their total to 18 left on base for the game to Edgewood's 16.

Although the Inferno (13-25, 7-15 NAC) couldn't find a way to pull off a come-back in the first game, head coach Kristin Kosobucki was pleased with the way her team fought back after every Edgewood score.

"The effort they put forth today was good to see," Kosobucki said. "A couple times Edgewood pulled ahead and it was great to see us be able to come back and tie it up. It was just that a couple of times we had the bases loaded and we just couldn't get that key hit to give us the go-ahead run."

In game two, Alverno was the first to score on a solo shot by Kresmer, her second of the season. Goetz held the lead until the Eagles' bats caught up to her in the fifth inning, putting up five runs on six hits. Villalobos then entered the circle to finish out the game, allowing four hits with one earned run and two strikeouts.

Down 5-1 heading into the bottom of the sixth inning, the Inferno attempted another come-back kicked off by a pair of doubles by Goetz and freshman third baseman Natalie Petrie (Franklin, Wis.) off the Eagle's starting pitcher in game two, Brittany Andrews (Rockford, Ill.). Blake then re-entered the circle to try to stave off any scores by Alverno, but the pitching changed failed to deter junior shortstop Megan Burgess (Racine, Wis./Park) from hitting a RBI single to score Goetz. Derrick followed Burgess with her second sacrifice fly of the day to bring Petrie home, but Edgewood was able to escape the inning with no further damage and tack on three more runs in the seventh inning to seal the second win.

"I think the girls are a little worn down after the first game, but I think they still wanted it and were ready to play in the second game," Kosobucki said. "After Jess pitched so many innings, Edgewood connected a couple of hits and we couldn't quite respond to get all of the runs back. We had a couple of errors here and there that hurt us, but for the most part we played pretty solid defense today."

Kresmer led the Inferno at the plate with seven hits, five in the first game, with one RBI, while Villalobos was 4-for-10 on the day with four hits and three RBI in the first game.

The Inferno could take on a frustrated, negative mindset to the outcome of today's games, knowing that the losses bounced them from earning a bit to next weekend's NAC Tournament, but Goetz is too focused on putting forth her best effort in each of tomorrow's pair of games against Marian University to try her best to end her amazing career on a good note.

"It was definitely sad that we lost today and that everything is coming to an end this season," Goetz said. "Even though we didn't get what we wanted, it gives us the drive to know that if we can stick it out for 15 innings and keep battling, we can stick it out for 14 innings tomorrow and try to get two wins out of it."

A stand-out pitcher all four years of her career with numerous Alverno records to her name, Goetz is currently ranked 18th amongst other NCAA Division III pitchers for strikeouts in a game, racking up 230 Ks so far this season with a career total of 554 to date.

"From the start of my career up to now in this one year alone seeing how far we've come as a team has been amazing," Goetz said. "I wish I had at least one more year just to see how much stronger we could be next year."

With so many records and honors in her name Goetz certainly has plenty of memories to pick from, but she mentions Alverno's pair of non-conference games with cross-town rival Carroll University as one of the best from her senior year.

"The Carroll games are my favorite memory because the catcher from my old summer team plays for them," Goetz explained. "When you know someone and you know how they play, it's fun to try to battle it out with them and see who can outsmart the other."

Although the Inferno split the results with Carroll, Goetz recorded her only triple of the season, her first since her freshman year, in the first game.

Alverno will close out its season tomorrow at home, facing Marian University for the Inferno's final regular-season conference doubleheader.

"Hopefully we come back with an aggressive mindset tomorrow with the determination to finish the season on two wins," Kosobucki said.

First pitch for Sunday's twin bill is set for 12 p.m. at Alverno Field.