No. 14 Softball Brought Out the Brooms at Benedictine

LISLE, Ill. – The 14^th-ranked Falcons extended the winning streak to 21 games with a pair of victories at Benedictine on Tuesday night. The Falcons bamboozled Benedictine with a 1-0, 6-2 sweep of the Eagles. The Falcons ascend to 30-3 on the year and remain atop the Northern Athletics Collegiate Conference standings at 19-0.

With the sweep, the Falcons have reached the 30-win mark for the fifth time in program history.

Defense was the name of the game in game one.

The Falcons did not have their first hit until senior Ashley Zappa (Zion, Ill.) hit a single to left field in the third inning.

Defensively, the Falcons were solid and ended the sixth inning by turning a double play off a popped-up bunt.

Senior Gina Followell (Romeoville, Ill.) struck out two Eagles in the seventh inning to force extra innings.

Junior Madi Wheat (Coweta, Okla.) found the gap in right-center field to reach third base on a triple.

Sophomore Jess Pozezinski (Lake Villa, Ill.) then scored Wheat on a sacrifice fly to right field.

The Falcons shut the door on the Eagles in the eighth inning with a one-two-three inning.

Gina Followell finished with seven strikeouts in her 18^th victory of the year.

Madi Wheat recorded a game-high two hits.

Sophomore Megan Bloyer (Oregon, Wis.) stole the only base in game one.

Senior Claudia Utz (Lockport, Ill.) kept the very few baserunners glued to the bag in game one.

The Eagles threatened early in game two with a bases-loaded situation. Senior Nicki Becker (Brodhead, Wis.) was able to get the NACC's leading hitter of Taylor Skraba to line out to right field to end the threat.

The Falcons swooped down on the Eagles with five runs in the fourth inning.

Megan Bloyer started the scoring with a shot up the middle that scored Jess Pozezinski.

Sophomore Jasmine Freeze (Bolingbrook, Ill.) showed why she is the reigning NACC Position Player of the Week with a sacrifice fly that plated Claudia Utz.

Sophomore Adrianna Martinez (Chicago, Ill.) then singled to center field to score senior Gabbi Gaziano (Beloit, Wis.) and sophomore KianaMarie Taccad (Chicago, Ill.).

The Eagles edged closer with runs in the fifth and sixth innings to cut the Concordia lead to 5-2.

Gabbi Gaziano closed the Tuesday night scoring in the seventh inning with a single to right field that landed Megan Bloyer on home plate after she started the inning with a double. The double was the only multi-base hit in game two.

Nicki Becker earned her 11^th victory of the year in the circle with five strikeouts.

Gina Followell recorded her third save of the season with three strikeouts.

Sydney Erdmann showed her speed and stole another base in game two.

Sydney Erdmann, Megan Bloyer and Gabbi Gaziano all had two hits in game two. Sydney Erdmann is now tied with Taylor Skraba as the leading hitter in the NACC with 49 hits.

The Falcons continue their tour of the Land of Lincoln on Friday night at Aurora.