Sickles' Walk-Off Hit Lifts Purdue Calumet in Game 2 Win; Peregrines Split with Roosevelt
Eric Sickles’ RBI-single in the bottom of the 11th inning proved to be the game-winner in a wild, come-from-behind, 6-5 league win over visiting Roosevelt University in Tuesday’s doubleheader nightcap.
The Peregrines (12-12, 7-8 Chicagoland Collegiate Athletic Conference) bounced back from a 6-0 Game 1 loss before coming up with timely hits in the Game 2 victory over the Lakers (15-13, 6-7) at Dowling Park’s Albert’s Diamond Jeweler’s Field.
With two outs and runners on first and second, Sickles (Benicia, Calif./Benicia) — who finished the day 5-for-8 with two RBI — belted a line drive to right field to score teammate Tyler Crussen (Valparaiso, Ind./Wheeler) from second and give the Peregrines’ a CCAC split. Sophomore Alec Skalka (Munster, Ind./Munster) added a 3-for-5 performance with a double, RBI, and two runs scored and freshman reliever Josh Arnold (Lowell, Ind./Lowell) was credited with the Game 2 win.
Purdue Calumet returns to action Saturday with a CCAC twin bill against St. Francis (Ill.) at Dowling Park, slated to kick off at noon CT.
GAME 2: Purdue Calumet 6, Roosevelt 5 (11 innings)
Sickles led the Peregrines with three hits in Game 2, but his last turned out to be the most important, as the senior’s single to right field sealed Tuesday’s 6-5 walk-off win in 11 innings in the nightcap.
Sickles finished Game 2 3-for-6 with two RBI, teammate Cody Moskovsky (St. John, Ind./Bishop Noll) went 2-for-5 with a double and Alec Skalka (Munster, Ind./Munster) went 2-for-3 with an RBI, a double and two runs scored to lead the Peregrines’ offense.
Freshman lefty Josh Arnold (Lowell, Ind./Lowell) picked up the win on the hill, pitching the final three innings in relief without allowing an earned run and scattering four hits with a strikeout. Starter Jimmy Skiff (Dyer, Ind./Andrean) was credited with the no-decision, allowing just one earned run, scattering six hits and striking out three in a strong outing.
Roosevelt struck first in Game 2, scoring two in the third on Matt Kozlak’s two-RBI single. The Peregrines struck back in the fifth, scoring three runs. Moskovsky doubled to open the frame, and pinch-runner Avery Lochow (Homer Glen, Ill./Lockport) later scored on a Skalka double. Sickles would add an RBI-single and John Cristo (Munster, Ind./Munster) accounted for the final run with an RBI walk.
The Lakers would answer, however, with two runs in the seventh and another in the eighth to take a 5-3 lead, but the Peregrines’ had some ninth-inning magic of their own to send the game into extra frames. Tyler Crussen’s (Valparaiso, Ind./Wheeler) RBI-ground out scored Skalka, who singled and stole second, and senior Cody Dykema (Schererville, Ind./Lake Central) came up with the game-tying hit with his sac fly to score Skalka.
The Peregrines recorded 12 hits compared to 10 for the Lakers.
GAME 1: Roosevelt 6, Purdue Calumet 0
Lakers’ starter Jared Jayne kept the Peregrines off-balance through all seven innings, as the right-hander allowed just five hits, struck out two and didn’t walk a man in the Game 1 shutout.
Tyler Crussen (double) and Eric Sickles each had two hits for Purdue Calumet and Alec Skalka added the other to lead the home offense.
Roosevelt scored one run in the first on a Colton Trager RBI-single and would add two more in the third, capitalizing on two Peregrine errors. The Lakers would add two more in the fifth and another in the seventh to give Jayne plenty of cushion in the Game 1 win.
Peregrines’ starter Matt Sandoval (Highland, Ind./Highland) tool the loss, giving up three earned runs, walking just two and fanning a game-high nine batters in a five-inning stint.
Freshman Brett Shoults (Oxford, Ind./Benton Central) pitched two innings of relief, not allowing an earned run and striking out one.
Purdue Calumet Sweeps Trinity International in CCAC Twin Bill
The Purdue University Calumet softball team picked up two key Chicagoland Collegiate Athletic Conference victories Tuesday, defeating Trinity International University in a doubleheader with scores of 9-1 in five innings and 11-2.
Senior Kaitlin Barajas (Dyer, Ind./Andrean) led the Peregrines at the plate in both games, going 4-for-8, with a double, a home run, three runs and six RBI across both games. Peregrine pitchers Carly Murphy (Munster, Ind./Munster) and Holly Pagan (Bartlett, Ill./Bartlett) each picked up wins in the circle to lead the defense.
The Peregrines return to action Wednesday afternoon as the team takes on CCAC opponent Robert Morris for a doubleheader starting at 3 p.m. CT at Dowling Park.
GAME 1: Purdue Calumet 9, Trinity International 1 (5 innings)
The Peregrines struck first and dominated the first two innings, scoring eight runs in the first two frames. Kaitlin Barajas belted her third home run of the season, a three-run blast after a double by Olivia Sardella (Dyer, Ind./Lake Central) and a single by Allyson Leach (Demotte, Ind./North Newton).
Purdue Calumet was not done however, scoring four more runs in the second. Leach picked up her second hit of the game with an RBI-single and Barajas hooked a RBI single to left scoring Sardella from third. Senior Jess Loy (Skokie, Ill./Niles North) kept the inning alive with a two-out, RBI-single up the middle and Taylor Kotzo (Munster, Ind./Munster) extended the lead to 8-0 with an infield RBI-single.
Holly Pagan (Bartlett, Ill./Bartlett) made it 9-0 in the fourth inning as the sophomore drilled a two-out RBI-double to right field.
The Trojans were able to get on the scoreboard in the fifth inning, when Taylor Carli tripled and later scored from the sacrifice fly from Emily Doomis.
Starting pitcher Carly Murphy (Munster, Ind./Munster) picked up her seventh win of the season, pitching all five innings, not allowing an earned run and striking out four.
GAME 2: Purdue Calumet 11, Trinity International 2 The Peregrines struck early in Game 2, as Katilin Barajas carded an RBI-groundout to score Olivia Sardella from third base in the first inning.
Purdue Calumet extended their lead in the second, as Hannah Lopez (Granada Hills, Calif./Bishop Alemany) grounded out to the pitcher scoring Jess Loy from third to make it 2-0.
The Peregrines broke the game open in the third with four more runs — all with two outs — as Barajas extended her hitting streak to six games with a double to centerfield to start the two-out rally. Freshman Tessa Steffens (Litchfield, Ill./Litchfield) had an RBI-single up the middle, Pagan added a two-RBI double to centerfield scoring Loy and Steffens, and Taylor Kotzo capped the frame off with a RBI-single to make it 6-0, Peregrines.
The Trojans, who were the day’s home team after the game was moved from its original location of Deerfield, Ill., extended the game in the bottom of the fifth inning as Alyssa Doomis grounded into a fielder’s choice and Tori Livingston walked with the bases loaded to cut the deficit to 8-2.
Purdue Calumet responded with three more runs in the final two innings. Leach singled to the left side to make it 9-2 in the sixth and teammate Alex Morales (Bartlett, Ill./Bartlett) hit a sacrifice fly to centerfield to extend the lead to 10-2. Sardella picked up her second hit of the game to round out the scoring, singling up the middle to give the Peregrines the 11-2 lead.
Pagan picked up her fifth win of the season, allowing only one earned run over seven innings of work, walking two and striking out nine in the complete-game win.