May 6, 2011 - In Thursday's first day of action in the Northern Athletics Conference softball tournament, the Concordia Cougars pounded out 14 runs on 17 hits to record an impressive first-round victory. In Friday's two games, the hits and runs were not there for the Cougars, and the result was a pair of losses that brought an end to Concordia's winningest season since 1984.

 

Concordia's day began with a game against the number two seed, Aurora University. As she did yesterday, leadoff hitter Olivia Hires (Denver, CO/Bear Creek) helped the Cougars to a fast start. Hires' speed forced the second baseman to bobble her grounder, and Hires motored around to score when Michelle Ciric (DesPlaines, IL/Elk Grove) lined a shot to left-center. Cassie Slechta (Berwyn, IL/Walther Lutheran) added to the lead with a two-out single to score Ciric. Concordia went on to load the bases with two out, and Corinne Kuhn (Warrenville, IL/Wheaton-Warrenville South) just missed making it a 6-0 game with a fly ball to the warning track for the third out.

 

Aurora came back with an unearned run in their half of the first to cut Concordia's lead to 2-1. The Cougars then missed a great opportunity to get the run back in the second. Caitlin Richards (Chicago, IL/Trinity) led off with a single, stole second and advanced to third on a wild pitch, still with nobody out. Hope Webster struck out Hires but then walked Ciric. However, Ciric was called out moments later for leaving first base too early, and Webster escaped the jam by getting Taylor Golden (Chicago, IL/Trinity) to foul out to the shortstop.

 

The Spartans took advantage by coming back with three runs in their at-bat. The big blow was a one-out, bases-loaded double by catcher Tristan Wilcox. Sami DeFord (South Bend, IN/Marian) came back to retire the next two batters and keep the score at 4-2 Aurora.

 

There would be no more scoring after the second inning. The Cougars continued to put runners on base but would be frustrated by not being able to come up with the big clutch hit. Concordia stranded 11 runners on base for the game, and their 4-2 loss sent them into an elimination game versus Dominican University.

 

Earlier in the season, Concordia dropped a pair of one-run games to Dominican. The third time would result in the most painful of all, a 1-0 verdict. DeFord and Emily Mahoney matched zeroes through three innings with the hits going 2-1 in favor of the Stars. The Cougars' lone hit to that point was a one-out double by Slechta in the second, but Mahoney retired the next two batters to keep the game scoreless.

 

Dominican broke through in the fourth inning after Mahoney was thrown out at second trying to stretch a leadoff single into a double. Melissa Summaria reached when Golden bobbled her grounder and then threw high to first base. DeFord then hit the next two batters trying to jam them inside and loaded the bases. Mikaela Westbrook followed with a ground ball in the hole between third and short. Hires made a diving stop, but her only play was at third base as Summaria crossed the plate.

 

Neither team scored in the fifth and sixth innings, setting the stage for a dramatic finish. Golden beat out an infield hit to shortstop. White then singled back up the middle with Golden advancing to second. Both runners moved up on a wild pitch, and Slechta walked to load the bases and seemingly put the Cougars in business.

 

Mahoney regrouped and got ahead on Gieseke 0-2. The next pitch resulted in a tap back to Mahoney, and she threw home to get the force on Golden for the first out. Fueled by the big play, Mahoney bore down even harder on DeFord and Felicity Woodson (Cathedral City, CA/H.S.) and got both of them swinging at a third strike to bring an abrupt and heartbreaking end to the Cougars' season.