Softball Sweeps CCIW Duo

CLERMONT, Fla. – The Collegiate Conference of Illinois & Wisconsin had nothing on the Falcons on Monday afternoon. The birds opened the day with a 7-1 victory over Carroll and rallied to crush the Cardinals of North Central with a 4-3 victory to improve to 10-1 on the season.

Freshman Jess Pozezinski (Lake Villa, Ill.) started the scoring on Monday with a blast off the water tower in left field to also score junior Claudia Utz (Lockport, Ill.) in the second inning. Junior Sydney Erdmann (Geneva, Ill.) then singled to center field to score junior Ashley Zappa (Zion, Ill.).

The Falcons continued to pour it on in the sixth inning with four more runs.

Junior Claudia Utz (Lockport, Ill.) started the scoring with a double into right-center field to score senior Kelsey Bollon (Orangeville, Ill.).

Freshman Megan Bloyer (Oregon, Wis.) then singled up the middle to get Jess Pozezinski and Claudia Utz across home plate.

Junior Gabbi Gaziano (Beloit, Wis.) then plopped a single into the gap in right-center field to score freshman Anna Ruffolo (Addison, Ill.).

The Pioneers put up a fight in the sixth inning and scored an unearned run.

The Falcons landed eight hits in game one with Claudia Utz leading the game with three.

Senior Gina Followell (Romeoville, Ill.) left the Pioneers in shambles at the plate with nine strikeouts.

The Falcons showed plenty of grit in game two after falling behind early with a three-run home run in the first inning.

Jess Pozezinski scored off the bat of Gabbi Gaziano in the second inning.

CUW continued to chip away in the sixth inning when senior Kristen Fontana (Hickory Hills, Ill.) had a single to second base and Jess Pozezinski caught the Cardinals' defense sleeping and scored on the play.

The Falcons trailed by a run heading into the bottom of the seventh inning, but that was no problem.

Sydney Erdmann started the inning with a laser to center field. A bunt single from sophomore Madison Wheat (Cowerta, Okla.) put Erdmann in scoring position. Kelsey Bollon then reached on a throwing error that scored Sydney Erdmann. The Cardinals were shaking in their shoes to face Claudia Utz and the plan to intentionally walk Claudia Utz went haywire with a wild pitch that scored Wheat.

After the first inning, the CUW defense stiffened up when needed and stranded eight Cardinals on the base path. NCC left runners on second and third in the third inning when senior Nicki Becker (Brodhead, Wis.) shut the inning done when she caught a fiery shot heading at her and the red birds left the bases loaded in the fourth inning.

Nicki Becker sat down seven batters in the victory.

Sydney Erdmann, Madison Wheat and Jess Pozezinski all had two hits in the 10-hit performance.

The Falcons will have a day off on Tuesday before taking on Wheaton (Mass.) and Wisconsin-River Falls.