Softball rallies past MSOE, downs WLC to stay alive in NACC Tournament

MILWAUKEE – The Concordia University Wisconsin Softball team was down to its final out in a Northern Athletics Collegiate Conference Tournament elimination game against MSOE Friday. The Falcons trailed 5-3 with two outs and nobody on as it appeared the 2014 season was about to come to an end.

Senior Alyssa Robison (Roselle, Ill.) and freshman Carly Sobrilsky (Brookfield, Wis.) made sure the Falcons season wouldn't end, hitting back-to-back home runs which sent the game to extras. CUW would win in the ninth on an RBI single from junior Katie Landerr (Waukesha, Wis.) and then went on to down Wisconsin Lutheran College, 7-4, in the next game, advancing to Saturday.

The Falcons will now take on either Benedictine University or Aurora University tomorrow at 9 a.m. at the Alverno Softball Field. BU and AU play later today and the loser will face the Falcons tomorrow morning. The winner of that 9 a.m. game will have to beat the last remaining unbeaten (winner of AU/BU) twice for the NACC Championship. For the complete NACC Tournament schedule, click here.

Senior Jamie Schuh (Freedom, Wis.) pitched 11 innings for the Falcons over the two wins, allowing just one earned run. Schuh started the MSOE game and struck out eight in seven innings before sophomore Melissa Perkins (Park Forest, Ill.) came on for the final two innings to get the win. Perkins then started game two but it was Schuh who picked up the win, pitching the final four innings, striking out three. Perkins totaled five innings in the circle for the Falcons Friday.

The opener against MSOE was all about the home run ball as the teams combined for five roundtrippers. Senior Mariah Giesseman (Sturgeon Bay, Wis.) belted a two-run shot in the fifth to give CUW a 3-1 lead at the time.

MSOE would take a 5-3 lead in the top of the sixth after scoring four in the inning. The Raiders capped off the frame with a two-run home run by Julie Windish. The two-run lead held until Robison and Sobrilsky went back-to-back in the seventh for the tie.

Windish again gave the Raiders a lead in the top of the ninth with her second roundtripper of the game. CUW had one last rally in them, as freshman Jennifer Reicher (Kewaskum, Wis.) scored on an MSOE error to tie the game with one out. Landherr then singled in Giesseman to give the Falcons the dramatic 7-6 win.

The Falcons would again come from behind in the game against WLC, trailing 3-1 after three innings of play. An RBI single from Robison, plating freshman Alexis Holsten (Oshkosh, Wis.) was the Falcons only run through three complete.

CUW tied the game in the top of the fourth on a two-run home run from Perkins, the first of her collegiate career. Giesseman then gave the Falcons a 4-3 lead in the top of the fifth on a solo blast and Robison scored on a wild pitch later in the inning for a 5-3 advantage.

The Falcons would add a run each in the sixth and seventh, while WLC scored once in the sixth to make the final score 7-4. CUW finished game two with 12 hits, two each from Robison, junior Jessica Liszka (Lindenhurst, Ill.) and sophomore Marisa Hahn (Northville, Mich.).

In the first game the Falcons totaled 11 hits. Holsten paced the offense with two hits, a double and triple, and two runs scored. Robison, Sobrilsky and Landherr all added two hits in the win over the Raiders.