Softball winning streak reaches six after sweep over Finlandia

MEQUON, Wis. – Apparently all it took was coming back to Wisconsin. The Concordia University Wisconsin Softball team, who played its first 14 games of the season in either Michigan or Florida, won its fifth and sixth straight games Thursday, all of those in Wisconsin, with a doubleheader sweep of Finlandia University. The Falcons took the opener 8-3 before rolling to a 9-0 game two victory in the non-conference twinbill.

Junior Melissa Perkins (Park Forest, Ill.) continued her recent hot streak in the circle as she tossed another complete game, this time punching out a career-best nine batters. Perkins scattered six hits and allowed just one earned run, while walking zero in her sixth win of the season.

Freshman Christine Sharon had another strong day at the dish for CUW as she drove in five runs over the two games. Sharon also pitched in game two, throwing all five innings in the shutout win. She allowed just four hits and struck out one, while also not issuing a walk.

The Falcons fell behind 3-0 after one inning of play in the opener as the Lions were able to take advantage of two CUW errors. Christine Krider had the big hit of the inning for Finlandia, a two-RBI single down the right field line.

The 3-0 lead would hold until the bottom of the third when CUW erupted for five runs. Sharon (Cornell, Mich.) had a two-RBI single to make the score 3-2, while freshman Madisen DeSmith (South St. Paul, Minn.) hit a two-RBI double in the frame. Sophomore Alexis Holsten (Oshkosh, Wis.) added an RBI single, giving CUW a 5-3 advantage.

The Falcons gained some insurance in the bottom of the sixth with another big inning, this time plating three runs. Sharon had a bases loaded walk, while freshman Sadie Strasser (Gladstone, Mich.), who finished the game with a team-best two hits, drove in two with a single up the middle.

Hunter Hoogewind finished with two hits to pace the Lions offense, but Perkins was in control for much of the game. She also threw a game against Finlandia earlier this season and tossed a complete game shutout, with three strikeouts in that contest on March 1.

Game two was all Falcons from the start as they jumped out to a 3-0 lead in the first. Freshman Haley Spoerl (Salem, Wis.) started the party with an RBI double down the left field line, while freshman Deidra Weinberger (Mayville, Wis.) added an RBI in the inning as well.

CUW would open the game up in the fourth with a six-run frame, putting the Lions away. Sophomore Nicole Bublitz (Brown Deer, Wis.) had an RBI single to begin the inning, while Sharon and Holsten each roped two-RBI double sin the inning.

Freshman Jamie Reiser (Ingleside, Ill.) had two hits in game two for the Falcons, while Sharon and Holsten each led the way with two RBI. Sharon also picked up her third win of the season in the circle for CUW, while scoring a team-best two runs.

The Falcons will look to extend their winning streak Saturday when they host Edgewood College in a NACC doubleheader. CUW and the Eagles will begin at noon at the CUW Softball Field.