April 2, 2011 - Taylor Golden (Chicago, IL/Trinity) and Clarissa Gieseke (Roselle, IL/Lake Park) combined for five hits and three RBIs to help the Concordia Cougars break out of an offensive draught and top Alverno College 7-4 in game two of this afternoon's doubleheader. The win helped salvage a split after Alverno held off Concordia 3-2 in game one.
After Alverno scored a run in the first inning of the nightcap, Concordia drew even in the second as a throwing error opened the door. Caitlin Richards (Chicago, IL/Mother McAuley) then drilled a single to right to scored Geeiseke for a 2-1 lead.
The Cougars added a pair of runs in the third. Golden came through with a clutch two-out single to score Cassie Slechta (Berwyn, IL/Walther Lutheran) who had walked and stole second base. Gieseke followed with a drive to right-center that split the outfielders for a double. Golden came all the way around from first to make the score Concordia 4, Alverno 1.
Slechta's leadoff double in the fifth led to Golden's second RBI, a single back up the middle. Gieseke then drilled a shot to the identical spot of her previous at-bat, although the Alverno fielders were able to hold Gieseke to a single this time. After Sara Bader (Richfield, WI/Kettle Moraine Lutheran) was hit by a pitch to load the bases, Richards and Olivia Hires (Denver, CO/Bear Creek) hit back-to-back singles to up Concordia's lead to 7-1.
The Inferno made a late charge in the top of the seventh. Sami DeFord (South Bend, IN/Marian) retired the first two batters, but the next two reached on an infield hit and a walk. Stef Wilmore worked the count to 3-2 before getting around on a pitch and lining it down the leftfield line. The ball stayed fair long enough to clear the fence for a three-run homer and trim the Cougars' lead to three. However, DeFord retired the next batter to lock up Concordia's third win of the season and first in four Northern Athletics Conference games.
In game one, Alverno struck for all three of their runs in the third off of DeFord. Chelsea Gulbronson delivered a key RBI single for the Inferno, and a hit-by-pitch and walk (both with the bases loaded) accounted for the other two runs. An error earlier in the inning made two of the three runs in the inning unearned.
The Cougars were blanked by Emily Snell on three hits until the seventh inning. DeFord reached base when her fly to center went off of the fielder's glove. following a force play at second, a walk to Laura Hunte (Momence, IL/H.S.) spelled the end for Snell. Bader greeted reliever Stephanie Klees with a four-pitch walk to load the bases. Michelle Ciric (DesPlaines, IL/Elk Grove) then hit the ball just past the first baseman's reach for a single to put the Cougars on the board. a grounder to shortstop produced a force out at home plate, but Golden kept the Cougars' hopes alive when she walked to bring home Bader and make the score 3-2. Megan White (Oak Park, IL/Oak Park-River Forest) was next up, and she worked the count full before Klees won the battle, getting White to pop up to the catcher in foul territory to end the game.
Concordia (3-10, 1-3 NAC) will play two games at Wisconsin Lutheran College on Sunday, beginning at noon.
