In the final game of a three-game series, St. Francis picked up its second straight 2-1 victory, this one coming in Joliet, Ill., Monday afternoon.

All three games were decided by a single run with St. Ambrose winning the opener 5-4 in eight innings before USF won the final two to claim the series.

A two-run fourth inning proved to be the difference.

The Bees took a short-lived lead in the top of the inning. Kylee Claypool led off with a single and moved to second on an error. Taylor Martyn's sacrifice bunt moved her to third, and Claypool scored on Shea Meech's RBI single.

The Saints collected three of their five hits in the bottom half. A leadoff single followed by a sacrifice bunt, then an RBI double and a run-scoring single gave St. Francis (22-8, 8-1 CCAC) the lead.

St. Ambrose (17-12, 7-2), which put at least one runner on base in each of the final six innings, nearly pulled even in the top of the fifth.

Shai Erdrich reached on a one-out single before stealing second and third. But she was erased on a double-play ball to end the threat.

Mya Millsaps started the sixth by drawing a walk and eventually moved to third with two outs before a fly ball ending the inning. In the seventh, Reagan Engberg drew a two-out walk but was stranded there.

Meech finished with two of SAU's five hits. Erdrich, Claypool and Engberg had the others.

Two Bees pitchers combined to allow just five hits and a pair of runs. Leah Maro was charged with the loss after working the first 3 2/3 innings. Bianca Shorter went the final 2 1/3.

St. Ambrose will host Olivet Nazarene Friday for a single game before the two teams will play a doubleheader in Bourbonnais, Ill., Saturday.