Four-run first lifts Falcons in NACC Tournament opener

MILWAUKEE – Senior Melissa Perkins tossed a complete game and freshman Maddie Zazas collected three hits, including a home run, to lead the Concordia University Wisconsin Softball team to a 5-2 win over Benedictine University on the opening day of the NACC Softball Tournament. The win moves the Falcons along in the winner's bracket, where they will play the winner of Aurora and Dominican tomorrow at 3 p.m.

THE BASICS
- Final Score: Concordia Wisconsin 5, Benedictine 2
- Location: Alverno Field – Milwaukee
- Records: Concordia Wisconsin 26-15; Benedictine 28-14

HOW IT HAPPENED
- The Falcons came out soaring with a four-run first inning. Junior Carly Sobrilsky (Brookfield, Wis.) put the Falcons on the board with an RBI single, while sophomore Christine Sharon (Cornell, Mich.) added an RBI single of her own. The Falcons executed a double steal for the third run, while sophomore Alison Peters (Elk Grove, Ill.) drove in a run of her own, making the score 4-0.

- Benedictine would respond with a pair of unearned runs in the top of the second. The Eagles scored both on a two-out single from Shannon Fritsche.

- Zazas (Mundelein, Ill.) put an insurance run on the board for the Falcons in the fourth, with her third home run of the season. She finished the game 3-for-4 with one run scored and one RBI.

- Perkins (Park Forest, Ill.) won her 16th game of the season, the third time in her career she has reached 16 wins. She is the only player for CUW during the NACC era (2007-present) go win 16 games in a season. She tossed seven innings, allowing two unearned runs on five hits. Perkins struck out one and walked three.

- Sophomore Deidra Weinberger (Mayville, Wis.) and freshman Sara Rosenow (Appleton, Wis.) each collected two hits for the Falcons, who finished with 11 as a team. Seven of nine players in the lineup collected a hit, providing a balanced attack.

BEYOND THE BOX SCORE
- The win means CUW will advance to Saturday of the NACC Tournament, no matter what happens in Friday's game. The Falcons and whoever they meet tomorrow at 3 p.m. will be the final two undefeated teams in the tournament.

- Benedictine will now play Lakeland in an elimination game at 9 a.m. tomorrow.