MILWAUKEE – The Alverno softball team opened the home season with some fireworks as the Inferno connected on six home runs over a two-game split with the Edgewood Eagles on the Alverno Softball Field. The Inferno fell in the opener by a 12-9 score before coming back to win on a walk-off sacrifice fly 10-9 in the second game of the day.
 
Sophomore Zimri Lemonds and freshman Sara Jankowski led the Inferno offensive with five hits apiece, as Lemonds connected on the first two home runs of her career as she drove in five of Alverno's 19 runs on the day. Sophomore Izzy Torres also drove in a team-best five runs on the day including the walk-off sacrifice fly in the second game. Jankowski ended the day with three runs driven in.
 
In addition to Jankowski getting the first five hits of her career, classmate Andrea Ramirez recorded her first three career hits including a home run. Freshman Izzy Luevano had the first two hits of her career, while sophomore Megan Bradford launched the first home run of her career in the second game.
 
Senior Lauren Greif connected on a pair of base hits, while junior Natalie Akin picked up her first hit of the season with a solo home run in the night cap. Senior Kaitlynn Schmick also had one hit on the afternoon on a seeing-eye base knock up the middle in game one to plate a runner.
 
In the circle, four Inferno pitchers faced the Edgewood lineup over the 14 innings. Greif got the start in the opener and tossed three innings, while allowing just three earned runs. Akin threw one inning and allowed one run before Schmick came on and struck out three batters over two innings while allowing one run. Freshman Maggie Wilmot tossed one inning and struck out one batter in the top of the seventh of the opener.
 
Schmick went the distance in game two as she tossed 114 pitches in her second outing, after needing 41 throws to get through her two innings in the opener. In the second game, she struck out five more batters while scattering 11 hits against the Eagle lineup to secure her first win of the season.
 
Game 1
Edgewood broke through first in the top of the first inning in game one as a run-scoring double put the Eagles ahead early. Edgewood scored a second run in the second inning before a five-run outburst put the Eagles up by seven heading to the bottom of the third.
 
Lemonds came up to lead off the bottom of the frame and launched a home run down the left field line to break the Edgewood shutout. Edgewood got the run right back in the top of the fourth as a wild pitch allowed a run to score.
 
In the bottom of the fourth frame, Ramirez got the two-out rally started with a single up the middle on a 2-0 pitch before Luevano walked on a full count to put a pair of runners on base. Up next was Jankowski, who roped a ball into the left centerfield gap to plate a pair and pull Alverno back within five.
 
Edgewood tacked on an insurance run in the top of the sixth, and pulled away with three more in the seventh to take a 12-3 advantage, but the Inferno refused to go down without a fight heading into the final turn at bat.
 
Jankowski opened the inning with a single, followed by another base knock by Lemonds. Akin walked to load the bases before Schmick drove in a run with a base knock up the middle to score Jankowski. Up next was Torres, who connected on her third career home run with this one coming as her first career grand slam to pull Alverno back within four at 12-8. Three batters later, Ramirez homered to centerfield, but it was not enough as the Eagles got out of the frame and escaped with the 12-9 victory.
 
Game 2
In the second game, Edgewood got off to another quick start, this time off Schmick as a leadoff home run gave the Eagles an early lead. A two-run home run later in the inning gave Edgewood an early 3-0 advantage.
 
Alverno's offense picked right back up after the late rally in the opener as Jankowski singled and Lemonds walked to put the first two runners on base. Three batter later Akin walked, but the Inferno left the bases full in the bottom of the first.

Schmick settled down in the circle and got a pair of popups and a strikeout to bring Alverno back to the plate in the bottom of the second.
 
Greif got the rally started with a base knock, followed by a single by Bradford. Luevano reached on a fielder's choice to load the bases before a wild pitch allowed Greif to score with the first Inferno run of the contest. Jankowski added an RBI with a groundout, while Lemonds singled to the opposite field to chase home the tying run to even the score at three.
 
Schmick worked in and out of trouble in the top of the third but was able to hold the Eagles at bay, before the Inferno went down in order in the bottom of the third. After allowing a one-out single in the fourth, Schmick got some help from her defense as a strikeout-throw out double play ended the inning.
 
In the bottom of the fourth, Luevano and Jankowski reached on back-to-back bunt hits to put a pair of runners on in front of Lemonds, who cranked her second home run of the afternoon to give Alverno its first lead of the game at 6-3. Later in the inning Akin notched her first home run of the season to left centerfield, to give Alverno a four-run lead.
 
After a three-batter fifth inning, including another strikeout, Schmick was touched up for five runs in the top of the sixth as Edgewood wrestled the lead back at 8-7. The Eagles added a ninth run in the top of the seventh to take a two-run lead into the bottom of the seventh.
 
It was once again Greif to get another rally started with a first-pitch single through the left side. Bradford poked a home run over the left centerfield fence to even the score at nine with no outs as the Inferno continued to threaten. Luevano reached on an error, before Jankowski singled and Lemonds walked to load the bases. Two batters later, Torres connected on the ball just deep enough down the right field line to allow Jankowski to score the walk-off run as the Inferno earned their first win of the season, 10-9.
 
Up Next
After a day to recuperate from four games over the last two days on Monday, the Inferno will get right back to action on Tuesday, when the team plays a non-conference doubleheader in Rosemont, Illinois beginning at 4:30 pm against the Dominican Stars.