Softball gains two wins Monday behind strong pitching efforts

LEESBURG, Fla. – The pitching duo of Emily Brekke and Molly O'Connell helped lead the Concordia University Wisconsin Softball team to a pair of wins Monday in Florida. Brekke led the Falcons to a 9-2 win over North Park to start the day, while O'Connell and Brekke combined for a shutout in a 5-0 victory against Lake Forest.

THE BASICS
- Final Scores: CUW 9, North Park 2; CUW 5, Lake Forest 0
- Location: Leesburg, Florida
- Records: Concordia Wisconsin 7-3; North Park 0-3; Lake Forest 2-2

CONCORDIA WISCONSIN 9, NORTH PARK 2
- Brekke (Waterford, Wis.) struck out nine batters in a complete-game effort in the win over the Vikings. She allowed just two runs, one earned and scattered five hits in her fourth win of the season.

- The Falcons offense gave Brekke some run support as well, scoring nine runs in the contest. O'Connell (New London, Wis.) and sophomore Sara Rosenow (Kimberly, Wis.) led the way by driving in seven of the team's nine runs. Rosenow belted a three-run home run in the third, while O'Connell had a pair of two-RBI hits, including a triple in the sixth.

- CUW trailed 1-0 after the Vikings first at bat but quickly tied the game in the bottom of the first. Senior Carly Sobrilsky (Brookfield, Wis.) drove in sophomore Maddie Zazas (Mundelein, Ill.) to make the score 1-1.

- The Vikings went up 2-1 in the top of the third before Rosenow gave the Falcons their first lead of the game with her three-run blast in the bottom half. CUW would hold the lead the rest of the game, adding to it with a two-run fourth and a three-run sixth. O'Connell drove in both in the fourth with a two-RBI single.

- Zazas, O'Connell, and Sobrilsky combined for nine of the Falcons 12 hits in the game, each player collecting three. Sobrilsky drove in two, adding an RBI double in the sixth.

CONCORDIA WISCONSIN 5, LAKE FOREST 0
- O'Connell tossed four scoreless to earn her third win of the season, while Brekke came on for the final nine outs, resulting in her second save, to help lead the Falcons to a 5-0 shutout win over the Foresters.

- CUW received most of its offense in the fifth, scoring four times. It was Sobrilsky who gave the Falcons a lead in the first, however, hitting an RBI double, which plated junior Deidra Weinberger (Mayville, Wis.).

- The four-run fifth was led by two-RBI hits from junior Allison Peters (Elk Grove, Ill.) and Zazas. Peters drove in two with a double, while Zazas brought home two more with a single.

- The Falcons totaled nine hits in game two, two each from Zazas, O'Connell, and junior Jamie Reiser (Ingleside, Ill.).

UP NEXT
- CUW will have an off day tomorrow before playing two more Wednesday. The Falcons will battle Anderson (Indiana) and Oswego St., the first of those games set for an 8 a.m. (eastern) start.