Box Score 1 | Box Score 2 The Benedictine University softball team swept the regular season finale against Alverno College on Sunday afternoon, winning 8-0 and 7-2 on the road. With the victories, BenU improved its record to 30-9 overall and 17-5 in Northern Athletics Collegiate Conference play, clinching the second seed in the NACC Tournament.

Game One

Benedictine started the scoring off in the second inning with two runs. After a Melissa Stoch RBI double to left center, Kelsey Jefferies recorded the first of her three hits in the game with a single to center field to drive in a run. Two innings later, Jefferies homered to center to score two more runs and give BenU a 4-0 lead.

In the fifth inning, two more BenU runs crossed the plate. Sarah Koch singled home a run, while another crossed the plate on a wild pitch. Benedictine had its fourth different two-run inning in the six, scoring on a Shannon Fritsche double and another Koch RBI single.

With an eight-run lead in tact, Eryn Pondo relieved starter Katie McKay in the sixth and held Alverno scoreless for a BenU 8-0 win in six innings. On top of Pondo's scoreless frame, starter Holly Haberkorn earned her 13th win with five shoutout innings of four-hit softball.

At the plate, Jefferies was a perfect 3-for-3 with a stolen base, three RBI, and two runs. Stoch was 2-for-4 with a double and a RBI, while Koch (2-for-4, two RBI) and Kailee Cable (2-for-4, run) also recored multi-hit games.

Game Two

The second game began in a similar fashion, as BenU jumped out to a lead in the second inning. Once again, Jefferies was responsible, singling home a run to put BenU on top 1-0.

In the third inning, the Eagles tacked on three runs in what turned out to be the team's biggest inning in the two contests. Alverno commited an error on a Fritsche and Chelsea White double steal, allowing Fritsche to score the first run of the inning. Cable then laid down a bunt to score White. Later in the inning, Haberkorn singled home a run to give BenU a 4-0 lead.

The Eagles offense was not quite done, as the team would tally three more times before the game came to a close. In the fourth, BenU scored courtsey of an Alex Daviera sacrafice fly and a Fritsche RBI single. After Alverno scored two runs in the bottom of the fifth, Jefferies hit her second home run of the afternoon in the top of the sixth. The solo-shot put BenU up to the eventual final of 7-2.

For the second game in a row, Jefferies was a perfect 3-for-3, totaling two runs and two RBI. Also hitting 1.000 in the game was Haberkorn, going 4-for-4 with a steal. Fritsche also talled two hits (2-for-4) and three steals, lifting her season total to 28.

In the circle, Melissa Guzior tossed six innings of two-run (one earned) softball to lift her record to 12-2 on the season. Katie McKay pitched a 1-2-3 seventh inning in relief.

With the NACC Tournament's second seed now in hand, the Eagles have earned a bye for the first round of the six-team, double elimination tournament. Benedictine will play at 2:00 p.m. against the winner of the tournament's opening game at 10:00 a.m. between third-seeded Concordia-Wisconsin and sixth-seeded Edgewood College. All tournament games will take place at Alverno Field in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. Live video (http://athletics.alverno.edu/video/asn) and live stats will be available for all tournament contests.