Chargers bounced from postseason with losses to Golden Eagles, Stormers

ROCKFORD — The Sandburg softball team saw its season end with a pair of losses Friday in the Region 4 Division II quarterfinal tournament.

The Chargers (13-39) dropped their opening game to top-seeded site host Rock Valley, then fell 7-5 to Milwaukee Tech in an elimination game that afternoon.

GAME 1
No. 1 Rock Valley 21, No. 16 Sandburg 2 (5 innings)
Sandburg      002     00       —        2          4          2
Rock Valley   221     (16)x   —        21       14       0
L: Tegan Cobb 3 IP, 0 K, 3 BB

Key moments
• Trailing 4-0 in the top of the third inning, the Chargers cut their deficit in half. Jordyn Climer drew a one-out walk, and Bailey Ryan followed with a single to center field. With two away, Hannah Pyle doubled to left, bringing in both runners.
• The Golden Eagles, ranked ninth nationally, took a 5-2 lead into their half of the fourth, then erupted for 16 runs to blow the game open.

Sandburg standout
Ryan had a hit in each of her at-bats as she collected two of Sandburg's four hits. In addition to her third-inning single, the center fielder grounded a base hit through the right side.

GAME 2
No. 8 Milwaukee Tech 7, No. 16 Sandburg 5
Sandburg                  002     010     2          —        5          10       2
Milwaukee Tech      210     022     x          —        7          13       5
L: Mary Hellige 5 IP, 3 K, 0 BB

Key moments
• Down 3-0 in the third, the Chargers clawed their way back even through their half of the fifth. Ryan drew a two-out walk in the third inning before Ailexa Hunter tripled her in, and Hannah Pyle knocked in Hunter with a double to left.
• In the fifth, Cheyanne Rodgers led off with an infield single and scored the tying run as Hunter smacked a two-out double into left field to make it 3-3.
• The Stormers quickly regained the lead, using back-to-back doubles to start the bottom fifth. MATC added another run in the inning and plated two more in the sixth to go up 7-3.
• Hunter picked up another two-out double in the seventh, scoring two runs to make it 7-5 and bring the tying run to the plate, but the Stormers were able to close out the game.

Sandburg standout
Hunter had three of the Chargers' 10 hits in the game and knocked in four of their five runs. The sophomore shortstop went 3 for 4 with two doubles a triple and a run scored in her final game with Sandburg.

Other top Chargers
• Pyle: 2 for 3, two doubles, RBI
• Rodgers: 2 for 3, 2 runs 

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