No. 15 Softball Crunches Concordia Chicago

MEQUON, Wis. – The 15^th-ranked Falcons took care of business on Friday afternoon with an 8-0, 9-1 sweep over Concordia Chicago. The sweep sends CUW to 22-3 on the year and to 11-0 in the Northern Athletics Collegiate Conference.

The Blue and White broke the game open in the first inning on Friday.

A triple from senior Cladia Utz (Lockport, Ill.) through the middle scored sophomore Jess Pozezinski (Lake Villa, Ill.). Utz later scored on a wild pitch.

In the second inning, senior Ashley Zappa zipped to second to steal the base and on an error, senior Gabbi Gaziano crossed home plate.

Junior Madi Wheat (Coweta, Okla.) then doubled into the gap in right field to land Zappa on home plate.

The second-inning scoring ended when Jess Pozezinski smacked the ball to the fence in left field on a double that plated senior Sydney Erdmann (Geneva, Ill.) and Madi Wheat.

Sophomore Megan Bloyer ended the game in the fifth inning on a double into the gap in right-center field that scored Madi Wheat and Jess Pozezinski and sophomore KianaMarie Taccad (Chicago, Ill.) was so fast that had the run rule not been in place, she too would have been chilling at home plate.

The Cougars entered Friday as one of the top offenses in NCAA Division III and led the conference in a handful of statistical categories, but the Falcons' pitching unit froze the Cougars' hot bats on Friday.

Senior Gina Followell only allowed one hit and struck out 11 cats.

The trio of Madi Wheat, Jess Pozezinski and Claudia Utz all had two hits.

The Falcons went 0 for 9 the first time through the order, but the Falcons figured out the puzzle in the fourth inning with eight runs and the six first batters reaching base, and 10 of the first 11 also doing so.

A double for Madi Wheat to centerfield scored Sydney Erdmann from first base.

Jess Pozezinski poked the ball to right field to score Madi Wheat. Pozezinski later scored on a throwing error when the catcher sailed the ball to right field.

Freshman Rylie DuVal (Elgin, Ill.) dropped the ball to centerfield to score freshman Julia Moker (Hubertus, Wis.).

Sydney Erdmann smacked a single to center field to score Ashley Zappa.

Madi Wheat closed the fourth-inning scoring with a single to the right side that scored junior Emily Walters (Waupun, Wis.) and Rylie DuVal.

The Cougars took advantage of an error to stay alive in the fifth inning with an unearned run.

A throwing error ended the day as Sydney Erdmann singled to first base and a bad throw then scored Emily Walters.

Senior Nicki Becker was sensational again in the circle with five strikeouts, no earned runs and only three hits.

Sydney Erdmann finished with as many hits as the Cougars did with three in game two.

Ashley Zappa and Emily Walters both stole a base in the second victory.

The Falcons look to keep the ball rolling on Sunday at St. Norbert.