The Dominican University softball team split a pair of Northern Athletics Collegiate Conference (NACC) Tournament contests, hanging on for a 4-3 win over the #4 Aurora University Spartans in the Stars' tournament opener before falling 6-4 in eight innings to the top-seeded Benedictine University Eagles in Dominican's nightcap.
Freshman righty
Cat Klostermann went the distance in both contests, surrendering a total of nine runs in 14.2 innings to move to 12-4 on the season.
The Stars will get back to tournament play on Friday, facing the MSOE Raiders in an elimination game at 11:00 a.m. at Alverno Field in Milwaukee, Wisconsin.
Game One: Dominican 4, Aurora 3
Gabi Alfaro led off the top of the fourth with a single to left-center, sparking a four-run rally for the Stars to break a scoreless tie. After a hit-by-pitch and a sacrifice bunt,
Sydney Kuderna pushed across Alfaro with a single up the middle. After a walk loaded the bases,
Marissa Burns picked up an RBI single. After a strikeout for the second out of the inning,
Gabby Curran picked up what proved to be the game-winning hit, a single to center that scored Kuderna and
Jacadi Rivera.
The Dominican offense picked up four more hits over the final three innings but could not bring around another run, leaving it to Klostermann to hold off the powerful Spartans' offense in her first NACC Tournament appearance. After the rookie retired the first nine hitters she faced, Klostermann found herself in her first spot of trouble in the bottom of the fourth. Aurora's Elaine Walker led off the inning with a single and Stef Starr followed with another base hit to put runners at the corners. After a brief visit from head coach
Cristina Lukas, Klostermann worked out of the jam, getting a strikeout before inducing back-to-back pop outs.
After the Stars failed to add to their lead in the top of the fifth, Aurora trimmed the lead in half on Elaine Walker's double with two outs. The Spartans then pulled another run closer in the bottom of the sixth, stringing together three singles to score a run before Klostermann escaped further damage thanks to a 4-5-6 double play.
Klostermann then nailed down the victory, pitching around a one-out single in the bottom of the seventh, getting the top two hitters in the Spartans' lineup, Walker and Starr for the final two outs of the game.
The Stars out-hit the Spartans 10-9 but Dominican stranded nine runners while Aurora left just five on base all game. Alfaro led the charge, going 3-for-4 with a run scored while
Alyssa Domico and Kuderna collected two hits apiece.
Game Two: Benedictine 6, Dominican 4 (8 Inn.)
The Stars jumped on the top-seeded Eagles, scoring a pair of runs in the top of the first. Curran started the game with a single through the right side of the infield and later scored on the first of three hits for Alfaro in the game. Two batters later, Alfaro scored when Domico singled to right-center. Benedictine was able to escape further damage when Kuderna bounced into an inning-ending double play.
The Stars added to their lead in the top of the third when Alfaro cranked a homer to left.
In the bottom of the inning, Benedictine pulled within a run when Shannon Fritsche picked up a sacrifice fly before Courtney Grasz cranked a solo home run to right-center. After a two-out single, Klostermann escaped the third with the lead intact, getting Emily Moore to bounce out to short.
After a scoreless fourth, Benedictine pulled even in the bottom of the fifth on Holly Haberkorn's two-out single that scored Fritsche.
Two more scoreless frames for Klostermann and the Eagles' Haberkorn, sent the game to extra innings. The Stars struck first in extras, taking a 4-3 lead when Domico singled through the left side with two away to score Curran.
In the bottom of the eighth, Kelli Hostine roped a one-out double to put the tying run in scoring position. After a pop out, Kassee Johnson tied the game with a single through the right side of the infield before Fritsche homered down the left field line to send the Stars into the elimination bracket.
The Stars picked up ten hits, including three for Alfaro and two apiece for Curran, Domico and Burns.
