March 25, 2012 - The Concordia-Chicago softball team came home from the St. Louis Invitational with an 0-4 record for the weekend. However, day two saw the Cougars play two competitive contests against Fontbonne University and Washington University after two one-sided games on Saturday.
The Fontbonne game began promisingly as Concordia scored four runs in their initial at-bat. The Cougars' first three batters reached base, and
Clarissa Gieseke (Roselle, IL/Lake Park) was walked to force in the first run.
Renee Benjamin (Chicago, IL/Mather) scored on a wild pitch moments later, and
Cassie Slechta (Berwyn, IL/Walther Lutheran) ripped a double to score
Taylor Golden (Chicago, IL/Trinity).
Sarah James (Riverside, IL/Riverside-Brookfield) capped the rally with a run-scoring single to give pitcher
Sami DeFord (South Bend, IN/Marian) a 4-0 lead.
The Griffins scored single runs in the second and third, but the Cougars stretched their lead in the fifth. James came through with a two-out, two-run single to score Benjamin and Golden, and
Moira Quinlan (Franklin Park, IL/East Leyden) singled to score Slechta for a 7-2 lead.
Fontbonne stormed back in the bottom of the inning with the help of a couple of misplays. A two-run double, one of three hits in the inning, got the Griffins within 7-4, but it was two infield errors that would prove more costly. The second came with two outs and allowed the go-ahead run to score. Concordia could not answer over the final two innings, and Fontbonne survived with the 8-7 victory.
The rematch against Washington proved a more competitive affair than Saturday's 10-1 loss. Concordia trailed 2-0 in the third when they rallied to take the lead. With one out,
Olivia Hires (Denver, CO/Bear Creek) doubled and Benjamin singled. Golden followed with a double to score both runners. Slechta then singled, and a throwing error by the centerfielder allowed Golden to score for a 3-2 lead for the Cougars.
Concordia led 4-3 in the fifth when the hosts came back to score three. The Bears recorded five hits in the inning with a two-run single giving them the lead at 6-4.
The Cougars did not go quietly. Golden led off the seventh with a base hit. She moved up to second on a wild pitch and scored on a two-out single by
Jenni Jensen (Chicago, IL/Luther North). Jensen moved up to second base on the throw home but went no further. The Bears' pitcher retired DeFord on a fly ball to wrap up the hosts' 6-5 win.
Concordia (2-12) will begin Northern Athletics Conference play this week with home doubleheaders against Dominican University March 28 and Concordia University Wisconsin March 31.
