Softball gains big NACC road sweep at Lakeland

PLYMOUTH, Wis. – The Concordia University Wisconsin Softball team knows if it wants to qualify for the 2018 NACC Softball Tournament it needs to have a strong final week of the regular season. The Falcons started the final week, which will feature 10 league games, off strong with a road sweep over Lakeland Tuesday. CUW won the opener, 3-1, before securing the sweep with a 4-3, nine-inning win in game two.

THE BASICS
- Final Scores: CUW 3, Lakeland 1; CUW 4, Lakeland 3 (F/9)
- Location: Muskie Softball Field – Plymouth, Wisconsin
- Records: CUW 16-14, 6-8 NACC; Lakeland 9-19, 4-10 NACC

CUW 3, LAKELAND 1
- The Falcons started the day with a 3-1 win thanks in large part to a strong pitching performance from Molly O'Connell (New London, Wis.). The sophomore fired six strong innings, allowing just one unearned run in the fifth inning. Jenna Pozezinski (Lake Villa, Ill.) came on for the final three outs in her second save of the season.

- CUW jumped out to a quick 1-0 lead just two batters into the game. O'Connell singled to lead things off before Allison Peters (Elk Grove, Ill.) tripled her in. The Falcons went up 2-0 in the second when O'Connell helped her own cause with an RBI single, plating Becky Bonnin (Kenosha, Wis.). Bonnin would score the Falcons third run as well after a fourth-inning double by Emma Schimberg (Random Lake, Wis.) and a throwing error by the Muskies.

- The Falcons received a strong effort from the top of the lineup as six of the team's hits came from the 1-4 spots in the order. O'Connell, Peters, and Jamie Reiser (Ingleside, Ill.) all collected two hits to pace CUW.

CUW 4, LAKELAND (F/9)
- Sara Rosenow (Kimberly, Wis.) gave the Falcons the sweep when she delivered a two-out, RBI double in the top of the ninth, scoring pinch-runner Carly Upmann (Monroe, Wis.) for the 4-3 lead. Rosenow finished the game with three hits, adding a triple.

- Reiser started the rally with a two-out single and Upmann came on to pinch run. Pozezinski walked, setting the stage for Rosenow who delivered the big hit in earning the Falcons the sweep.

- Strong pitching helped the Falcons once again as Pozezinski got the win with two scoreless relief frames. The freshman struck out three before handing the ball off to O'Connell, who recorded the final three outs for her second save. Nicole Lewis (Manhattan, Ill.) got the start and threw six strong, allowing three runs (two earned) with a pair of strikeouts.

- The Muskies went up 2-0 with a two-run second before the Falcons responded with two in the top of the third. Maddie Zazas (Mundelein, Ill.) hit a sacrifice fly, scoring Lewis, and Reiser drove in O'Connell with an RBI single to tie the game at 2-2. After a Lakeland run in the bottom of the third, CUW again responded in the top of the fourth when Kalli Roulette (Manitowoc, Wis.) roped an RBI double, plating Rosenow.

- O'Connell and Reiser added two more hits in the nightcap while Zazas doubled in a game which saw the Falcons record four extra-base hits. Rosenow had two, a double and triple, and Roulette had the RBI double in the fourth.

BEYOND THE BOX SCORE
- The wins move CUW into a tie for seventh in the NACC standings, and a game behind sixth-place Wisconsin Lutheran. The Falcons have eight NACC games remaining.

UP NEXT
- CUW will face the team one spot ahead of them in the NACC standings in Wisconsin Lutheran in a NACC doubleheader Wednesday. First pitch is set for 3 p.m. at the CUW Softball Field.