Things looked promising early in game one after Sami DeFord (South Bend, IN/Marian) put down the Spartans 1-2-3. Olivia Hires (Denver, CO/Bear Creek) singled and stole second base. Taylor Golden (Chicago, IL/Trinity) followed with a single that sent Hires to third. Hope Webster fanned Megan White (Oak Park, IL/Oak Park-River Forest) for the first out. Golden turned up the pressure by stealing second, but Webster struck out Clarissa Gieseke (Roselle, IL/Lake Park) and got Cassie Slechta (Berwyn, IL/Walther Lutheran) to pop up to the shortstop and quell the threat.

 

Aurora took a 1-0 lead in the second with the help of a little defensive confusion. With two out and a runner on second by way of a single and passed ball, Jessica Scott grounded a ball in the hole between first and second. White fielded the ball, but Gieseke had come off first base in an attempt to field the ball and nobody was covering the base. Scott won the race to the bag while the alert baserunner raced around third and beat the throw to the plate.

 

Concordia threatened with two out in the fourth. Corrine Kuhn (Warrenville, IL/Wheaton-Warrenville South) singled, and DeFord followed with a drive to the leftfield fence that went for a double. However, the relay to the plate was in plenty of time to catch Kuhn trying to score,

 

The Spartans put game one on ice with three runs in the sixth. Tristan Wilcox hit a liner to left that was misplayed for a two-base error. DeFord retired the next two batters, but Lillie Stone blooped a single to right-center that scored pinch-runner Mia Henderson. Brooke Spencer then picked on a 1-0 pitch and drove it over the fence in right-center for a two-run homer and a 4-0 lead.

 

Both pitchers exhibited fine control for their seven innings of work. Webster struck out six and walked one while scattering six hits. DeFord fanned eight and walked one while giving up six hits. All of the runs against DeFord were unearned.

 

Aurora played long ball again in the nightcap. Wilcox started the scoring in the third with a two-out, two-run homer that came after an error opened the inning.

 

The Spartans added a run in the third, although Cougar pitcher Andrea Kelly (Elk Grove, CA/Laguna Creek) did well in holding the visitors to just the one run. Aurora had runners on the corners with just one out, but Kelly got two weakly-hit ground balls to escape the jam.

 

Caitlyn Clay put the game out of reach with a three-run homer in the fifth. The Spartans tacked on three more on the sixth and ended the game when Concordia was unable to score in the bottom of the inning.  

 

Lindsay Decker held the Cougar hitters to singles by Golden and Slechta while striking out five. Kelly took the loss, allowing six runs (four earned) in her five innings of work. DeFord pitched the sixth and was charged with the final three runs, one earned.

 

The Cougars (2-9, 0-2 NAC) will return to action on Saturday afternoon when they host Alverno College.