Softball rallies for win over St. Scholastica, falls to UW-Oshkosh

MARQUETTE, Mich. – The Concordia University Wisconsin Softball team used a six-run sixth inning against St. Scholastica to secure a split on the opening day of the 2018 season. The Falcons, who fell 12-1 against UW-Oshkosh in the first game, defeated the Saints by an 8-5 score for the first win of the year.

THE BASICS
- Final Scores: UW-Oshkosh 12, CUW 1; CUW 8, St. Scholastica 5
- Location: Superior Dome – Marquette, Michigan
- Records: CUW 1-1; UW-Oshkosh 1-0; St. Scholastica 0-1

CUW 8, ST. SCHOLASTICA 5
- The Falcons trailed 5-2 before the six-run sixth inning. Sara Rosenow (Kimberly, Wis.) and Becky Bonnin (Kenosha, Wis.) scored on a Saints error to make the score 5-4 and Janelle Wotruba (Green Bay, Wis.) tied the game when she touched home on a wild pitch. Jenna Pozezinski (Lake Villa, Ill.) then doubled in Molly O'Connell (New London, Wis.) to put the Falcons in front, 6-5. Jamie Reiser (Ingleside, Ill.) then gave the Falcons some insurance with an RBI single plating Maddie Zazas (Mundelein, Ill.) with Carly Upmann (Monroe, Wis.) also scoring on the play.

- O'Connell picked up the win in the circle, throwing 1.2 innings of scoreless relief for the Falcons. She came in in relief of Pozezinski who tossed 5.1 innings with three strikeouts. Pozezinski surrendered five runs, four earned in her first collegiate start.

- The Falcons built a 1-0 lead with a run in the bottom of the first as Zazas singled in Allison Peters (Elk Grove, Ill.). Peters and Zazas each finished the game with two hits for CUW, one of Peters being a triple. Pozezinski drove in two runs for the Falcons.

- The Saints took their first lead in the top of the third with a pair of runs and added a run in the fifth to make the score 3-1. CUW responded with a run in the bottom of the fifth but St. Scholastica added two in the top of the sixth, making it 5-2 before the Falcons rallied back.

- Vanessa Kohl went the distance for the Saints, allowing eight runs but just three earned. She struck out five and issued five walks.

UW-OSHKOSH 12, CUW 1
- The Falcons first game of the 2018 season did not go as planned as the Titans rolled to a 12-1 in five innings. UW-Oshkosh scored seven runs in the third inning while adding one in the first and four in the second. The Falcons defense struggled with five errors in the opener.

- O'Connell and Reiser paced the CUW offensive attack with two hits each. O'Connell got the start in the circle, pitching 2.1 innings while Nicole Lewis (Manhattan, Ill.) threw the final 1.2 innings and did not allow an earned run.

- The Titans finished the game with 11 hits, three different players collecting two hits each. Bailey Smaney picked up the win for UW-Oshkosh, throwing four innings and striking out four. She gave up one run and scattered five hits.

UP NEXT
- The Falcons are back in action Sunday against UW-Stevens Point and UW-Superior at the Finlandia Dome Tournament.