Softball’s Journey Ends In the NACC North Finals

FOND DU LAC, Wis. – The CUW softball season came to an end on Saturday in the NACC North Division Tournament Finals. The Falcons forced a second game with an 11-5 victory in game one, but fell in game two, 0-1. CUW finishes the year with a 31-8 record.

The Raiders scored two runs in the top of the first inning to take an early lead on Saturday.

The Falcons responded with four runs in the third inning when senior Kelsey Bollon (Orangeville, Ill.) blasted a grand slam to left-center field to score sophomore Ashley Zappa (Zion, Ill.), sophomore Sydney Erdmann (Geneva, Ill.) and sophomore Gabbi Gaziano (Beloit, Wis.).

MSOE tied the game at four with two runs in the fifth inning.

Ashley Zappa broke the tie with a home run in the fifth inning to score Sydney Erdmann.

Kelsey Bollon scored on a wild pitch in the fifth inning and Gabbi Gaziano cleared the bases with a home run to right field, scoring sophomore Claudia Utz (Lockport, Ill.) and junior Taylor Kuske (Kaukauna, Wis.).

In the sixth inning, junior Alyssa Vilkoski (Greenfield, Wis.) scored Ashley Zappa on a sacrifice fly.

Junior Gina Followell (Romeoville, Ill.) earned her 14^th victory of the year and had six strikeouts.

Ashley Zappa had a game-high three hits.

Defense was the name of the game in game two.

MSOE scored the lone run in the fifth inning on a double.

Junior Nicki Becker (Brodhead, Wis.) only allowed five hits in the game and had one strikeout.

Kelsey Bollon, senior Jenna Pozezinski (Lake Villa, Ill.) and Alyssa Vilkoski all had a hit in the game.

CUW will have to wait and see if they earned an at-large selection in the NCAA Division III Tournament.

MSOE will take on Benedictine in the NACC Championship.