Softball sweeps Edgewood, extends winning streak to eight games

MEQUON, Wis. – Melissa Perkins and Emily Brekke tossed back-to-back complete game gems in leading the Concordia University Wisconsin Softball team to a NACC doubleheader sweep over Edgewood College Saturday at the CUW Softball Field. The wins, 3-1 in the opener and 6-0 in game two, were the seventh and eighth straight for the Falcons, who are now 6-0 in NACC play.

Perkins (Park Forest, Ill.) got the day started by throwing a four-hitter, facing just four over the minimum in a complete game win. She did not issue a walk for her second straight start and struck out one. She needed just 67 pitches to work through the Eagles batting order as she ran her record to 7-3 on the season.

Brekke (Waterford, Wis.) wasn't going to be outdone as she delivered her first career complete game shutout. The rookie righthander tied a career-high with eight strikeouts, while allowing just four hits as one. Brekke walked one, while using 99 pitches in the contest.

In the opening win CUW had just five hits but two were home runs. Freshman Haley Spoerl (Salem, Wis.) sent an Edgewood offering over the left field wall in the bottom of the 1st, giving her team a 1-0 lead. Then with the score at 2-1 in the fourth inning, freshman Andrea Thiry (Green Bay, Wis.) hit an inside-the-park home run, putting her team up 3-1.

Spoerl and freshman Deidra Weinberger (Mayville, Wis.) paced the CUW attack in game one with two hits apiece. Edgewood had no players with multiple hits, but Kayla Updike did hit an RBI triple for the Eagles in the fourth inning.

In game two the Falcons jumped out to a 3-0 lead in the first as Spoerl and sophomore Alexis Holsten (Oshkosh, Wis.) had RBI in the opening frame. Holsten's hit in the first was a double, one of two extra-base hits in the second game, both by CUW.

Weinberger added the other extra-base hit in game two as she posted another two-hit effort for the Falcons. Adding two hits was Spoerl and Holsten as CUW recorded eight in the second contest.

The story of the day, however, was the Falcons pitching as the doubleheader was completed in just 2:52. Perkins and Brekke were masterful in their performances and worked quickly in the sweep.

The Falcons will put their winning streak on the line Monday when they visit Rockford University for a NACC twinbill. First pitch from Rockford is scheduled for 3 p.m.