Softball defeats UW-Stout, falls to Bethel

ROCHESTER, Minn. - In their first two games of the season, the Concordia University Wisconsin softball team went 1-1 inside the Rochester Dome on Saturday evening, defeating University of Wisconsin-Stout 6-3 before falling 8-6 to Bethel University.

In the first game against Stout, CUW broke the game open with a four-run third inning, providing head coach Steve Crook and the Falcons with all they would need to secure the victory.

Senior pitcher Danielle Burke (Burlington, Wis.) threw 4.2 innings, allowing three runs on six hits. Sophomore Jamie Schuh (Freedom, Wis.) pitched the remaining 2.1 innings, and allowed only one base runner while striking out a pair.

Sophomore third baseman Mariah Giesseman (Sturgeon Bay, Wis.) went 2-4 with three RBI, while junior second baseman Holly Zinnecker (Roscoe, Ill.) went 2-3 and scored two runs.

In the later game against Bethel, the Falcons had a 5-4 lead going into the 7th inning, but allowed four runs in the final frame to let the win slip away. "We did a lot of pre-season experimenting and that lack of experience cost us in the second game," explained Coach Crook.

Schuh started the game for CUW, giving up four runs, three of them earned, on four hits in five innings of work.

Senior centerfielder Sarah Cochran (Bloomington, Ill.) went 2-2 and scored two runs.