Softball Squeezes the Sabres

FOND DU LAC, Wis. – The Concordia Wisconsin softball team extended its winning streak to seven games on Wednesday evening, topping the Marian Sabres in both halves of the day's doubleheader. With a combined score of 16-4 between the pair of games, Concordia pushed its season record to 11-3 in NACC play and 17-9 overall.

Junior Jess Pozezinski (Lake Villa, Ill.) got the Falcons on the board in the opening game by way of a three-run blast to left field, which marked her 12th home run of the season.

A single from senior Sydney Erdmann (Geneva, Ill.) in the second frame scored junior Adrianna Martinez (Chicago, Ill.), but the Sabres managed to cut the deficit in half by way of a two-run homer in the following inning.

Senior Gabbi Gaziano (Beloit, Wis.) brought herself home in the fourth with her first homer of the year, which set up a slew of insurance runs for Concordia in the following inning. The Falcons dominated the scoreboard in the fifth frame, plating five additional runs. Junior Jasmine Freeze (Bolingbrook, Ill.) scored the first run of the stretch while a double steal of second and home allowed sophomore Maggie Plahmer (Slinger, Wis.) to score the Falcons' seventh run. Gaziano then picked up her second RBI of the game with a single to left-center field, and freshman Kaitlyn Way (Blaine, Minn.) doubled in two additional Concordia scores to grant the team a 10-2 victory.

In addition to collecting an RBI, Freeze spent the entirety of the game in the circle, tossing five innings while striking out ten batters, a career-high.

Much like the first game, Pozezinski began the scoring parade with a first-inning home run for Concordia. The solo shot tied her own program record of 13 homers, set in 2022.

After a second-inning RBI single tied the game for Marian, Pozezinski put the Falcons back in front with a sacrifice fly in the third. In the ensuing at-bat, junior Megan Bloyer (Oregon, Wis.) cleared the bases with a single to center field, which left Concordia with a 4-1 advantage.

The Sabres got halfway to even in the fourth inning, but sophomore Taylor Jacobson (Kenosha, Wis.) snatched the run back for the Falcons in the sixth frame. Concordia collected another insurance run in the top half of the seventh inning, as Bloyer batted in Pozezinski for her second RBI of the day. Concordia picked up a quick three outs in the bottom of the set to clinch a 6-2 victory, marking the team's eleventh consecutive triumph over Marian.

Martinez pitched the full seven innings for the Falcons, allowing just one earned run in the outing to lower her season ERA to 2.55.

Concordia will look to grow its winning streak in its next set of games against the 5-21 Alverno Flames on April 27.