The Kirkwood softball team has been able to practice just once outdoors all spring due to inclement weather and their busy schedule of games.

Just think how good the 11th-ranked Eagles might become if they're able to get some serious practice time this spring.

Kirkwood raised its record to 34-5 Monday by sweeping a twinbill from Southeastern Community College, 17-14 and 10-2, at Kirkwood.

The Eagles rallied from a 9-0 deficit to win the opener by a football score with a grand-slam home run by Alicia Crivaro, a three-run homer by Krysta Tutsch and a two-run blast by Erin Weno.

Crivaro belted another home run in the second game and Natalie Clark also connected for a round-tripper, giving Kirkwood five home runs in the twinbill.

Kirkwood Coach Joe Yegge had to replace an All-American pitcher, the entire starting infield and the entire starting outfield from a club that finished 57-5 last season and reached the semifinals of the national tournament.

He's got two experienced pitchers with Shy Saladino and Sam Belz, along with a quality catcher in Tutsch, but there are rookies everywhere else on the field.

"I thought we'd be good this year. I just didn't think we'd be 34-and-5, because of the freshmen," said Yegge. "They're good. They're good freshmen. They're feisty, so that's the nice thing."

The Eagles never blinked after Southeastern jumped on Saladino for nine runs in the first two innings of the opener. Saladino began the game with a 14-0 record and microscopic ERA, but she was a little off her game and the Eagles made enough mistakes in the field to help the visitors build their big early lead.

Crivaro, a freshman from Dowling Catholic, socked her grand slam in the third inning as Kirkwood pulled within 9-7. Southeastern spurted ahead again, 13-7, but the Eagles scored eight runs in the fifth inning and two more in the sixth to finally take control.

"We knew that we could come back and win," said Crivaro, who has six home runs. "We're a very good hitting team. We knew we were going to get runs, no matter what."

Madison Keysor, a freshman pitcher from Treynor, picked up the victory in relief in the first game. Sam Belz ran her record to 16-4 in the nightcap with a complete game in the five-inning contest.

Yegge, who is not accustomed to losing, thought the opener was probably a lost cause when Southeastern jumped to its 9-0 lead. "I chalked it up, actually," he said.

"They did it all on their own. They fought back and kept going at it," he said. "It was awesome to see them go, offensively. We're finally starting to hit."

Everybody in the starting lineup had at least one hit and scored at least one run in the opener.

Crivaro drove in five runs in the doubleheader. Clark went 5-for-7 with four RBIs. Tutsch was 4-for-5 with four RBIs. Chasney Jenkins went 4-for-8 with four RBIs. Lexi Quandt was 3-for-8 with four RBIs. Weno drove in three runs.