Box Score 1 | Box Score 2 SHEBOYGAN, Wis. – Behind Emily Mahoney’s 12 strikeouts in game one of today’s doubleheader, the Stars went nine innings for the victory, but fell victim to a walk-off single by the Muskies in game two to split the series and bring their record to 15-15 overall and 8-6 in Northern Athletics Conference play.
 
Emily Mahoney (Crystal Lake, Ill./South) started game one with five consecutive strikeouts, and went three full frames before giving up a Muskie hit in the bottom of the fourth. She also led the Stars offensively, going 3-4 at the plate, with her final hit starting the Stars’ ninth-inning offense that led them to victory.
 
Mahoney, Sarah Budz (Orland Park, Ill./Providence Catholic) and Amy Paolini (Lemont, Ill.) would all knock doubles in the contest, but it was the rookie Erica King (Lyons, Ill./St. Joseph) who brought the pinch-running Amanda Moran (River Grove, Ill./East Leyden) across the plate for the game-winning run in the top of the ninth inning.
 
In game two, the Muskies (14-10, 9-3 NAC) scored their first run of the day in the second inning and would keep the 1-0 lead until Andrea Pinarski (Goshen, Ind./Concord) got the Stars’ offense rolling with her lone hit of the day to lead off the fourth. Allie Evans (Greenwood, Ind.) followed that up with her first of two hits in the game, and after King reached base on a fielder’s choice, Moran cranked her lone hit of the day to score Pinarski.
 
In the fifth, Melissa Summaria (Algonquin, Ill./Dundee Crown), Budz and Mahoney kept the offense going with back-to-back-to-back singles after Budz had been intentionally walked in each of her first two at-bats. With the bases loaded, Pinarski recorded a sacrifice hit, scoring Summaria, and Evans followed that up with a single to score Budz and extend the Stars’ lead to 3-1.
 
The Stars would threaten again in the sixth after Corinne Wimmer (Elgin, Ill./Larkin) and Summaria recorded base hits and Budz was again intentionally walked to load the bases. But a fielder’s choice cutting down the run and a fly out to left field would leave the Stars scoreless in the inning and keep the score at 3-1 in favor of the Stars.
 
The Muskies then found their offense again in the bottom of the inning with two hits, and also took advantage of a Stars’ error to tie the game 3-3 going into the final frame.
 
After the Stars were unable to score in the top of the inning, the Muskies started off the final half frame with a Leah Sheahan double, advanced her to third with a sac bunt, and then ended the game on a walk-off RBI single by Kate Wallen.
 
The Stars are next in action this Tuesday, hosting the Spartans of Aurora University in a 3 p.m. first pitch doubleheader at the Park District of Forest Park.