Softball sweeps Edgewood in NAC play at home

MEQUON, Wis. – Concordia University Wisconsin pitching was dialed in on Thursday evening as it held Edgewood College to just seven hits during a Northern Athletics Conference doubleheader sweep. The Falcons won game one, 7-1, before taking game two, 5-1.

Junior Jamie Schuh (Freedom, Wis.) continued her dominance in the circle as she fanned 13 Eagles in the opener. It was the second double-digit strikeout performance for the righty in as many games. Freshman Melissa Perkins (Park Forest, Ill.) struck out just two batters in the closing game, but tossed 12 groundouts, including six back to her for assists.

Junior Mariah Giesseman (Sturgeon Bay, Wis.) led all players with four base hits and three runs scored, while senior Cara Landherr (Waukesha, Wis.) smashed her 12th home run of the season in the six inning of game one over the left-center field wall.

The victories secure a spot in the NAC Tournament for CUW for the fifth-consecutive season. The Falcons have four league games remaining, including the final two at home on Sunday against Wisconsin Lutheran College, before it finds out their seed. CUW also won its seventh and eighth straight games of the season.

EC (10-25, 8-11 NAC) was led by Carlene DeCoster and Tiffani Pierce who each had two hits.

CUW (23-13, 15-5 NAC) touched up the Eagles for three runs in the second and fifth innings, along with a single run in the sixth during the first game. The Falcons batted around the order, walked four times, hit three fielder's choice and received a two-out, two-RBI single from junior Stephanie Kramer (Fond du Lac, Wis.) in the second inning.

Sophomore Jessica Liszka (Lindenhurst, Ill.) belted a two-out, three-RBI double to center field in the fifth frame to extend CUW's advantage to 6-1. Landherr took a 2-1 pitch deep over the left-center field wall to score the seventh run for the Falcons in the victory.

Schuh worked out of several jams in the first game, as she tossed 156 total pitches, but threw four wild pitches and hit three batters.

During the closing game, the Falcons plated a run in the second, third and fourth innings, along with a pair of scores in the fifth against the Eagles.

Perkins ripped a single up the middle to push sophomore Sara Skarda (Pleasant Prairie, Wis.) across the plate and tie the game at 1-1 in the second frame. Landherr extended CUW's lead to 2-1 after hitting a RBI double down the left field line, which scored Kramer.

Perkins again hit an RBI single, but in the fourth inning, to give the Falcons a 3-1 advantage after junior Alyssa Robison (Roselle, Ill.) scored. Robison later ripped her fourth triple of the season down the right-field line in the fifth frame to push sophomore Emily Morrow (Colby, Wis.) and Giesseman around the bases for a 5-1 CUW lead in the fifth inning.

The Falcons next play a doubleheader on Saturday at Dominican University starting 12 p.m.