Softball falls just short in second NACC Championship contest

MILWAUKEE – The Concordia University Wisconsin team rallied for a 6-5, extra-inning win over Benedictine to force a second NACC Championship Game Saturday afternoon. Unfortunately, the Falcons would fall in the second title game, 6-2, as Benedictine captured its sixth tournament title in the last seven years.

THE BASICS
- Final Scores: CUW 6, Benedictine 5 (F/8); Benedictine 6, CUW 2
- Location: Alverno Softball Field – Milwaukee
- Records: CUW 31-12; Benedictine 32-12

CUW 6, BENEDICTINE 5 (F/8)
- The Falcons were down to their final out in the top of the seventh when Jamie Reiser (Ingleside, Ill.) delivered a game-tying single, plating Jacqueline deWerff (Hartland, Wis.), who was in as a pinch-runner for Carly Sobrilsky (Brookfield, Wis.).

- CUW would go ahead 6-4 in the eighth inning when Allison Peters (Elk Grove, Ill.) doubled in a pair of runs. Peters finished the game 4-for-4 with three RBIs and two doubles to lead the Falcons attack. Benedictine scored once in the bottom of the eighth but Molly O'Connell (New London, Wis.) finished off her gutsy complete-game effort to force the second title game.

- O'Connell, who hadn't thrown more than six innings in a game all season, delivered eight innings in the opener. She gave up five runs four earned in an 110-pitch effort. The win was her ninth of the season.

- Maddie Zazas (Mundelein, Ill.), Deidra Weinberger (Mayville, Wis.) and Sobrilsky all added two hits for the Falcons. Zazas led the game off with a double for the Falcons.

- Holly Haberkorn threw a complete game for Benedictine as the Falcons handed her just her fourth loss of the season. Selena Kweder paced Benedictine at the plate as she was 4-for-4 with a home run. Kweder and Peters of the Falcons combined to go 8-for-8, each player batting ninth in the lineup.

BENEDICTINE 6, CUW 2
- The Eagles received a strong performance from Nicole Parney (Mundelein, Ill.) in the second championship. Parney went the distance and did not allow an earned run.

- Benedictine took the lead in the top of the second but the Falcons quickly answered with a run in the bottom of the second on Parney's only walk of the game, a bases loaded one with Lexi Holsten (Oshkosh, Wis.) at the plate.

- The Eagles would add one in the fourth and score two more in the fifth inning to take a 4-1 lead. CUW answered with a run in the bottom of the fifth but Kassee Johnson of Benedictine provided insurance in the top of the sixth. She hit a two-run home run, making the score 6-2.

- O'Connell worked 4.1 more innings in game two, allowing four runs. Emily Brekke (Waterford, Wis.) came on for the final eight outs of the game, surrendering a couple of runs. O'Connell also had two hits to pace the Falcons offense.

BEYOND THE BOX SCORE
- CUW finishes the season with 31 wins, the second most in program history. The Falcons proved to be a resilient bunch with two comeback wins Saturday to force the final game of the NACC Tournament.