April 17, 2012 - The Concordia Cougar softball team took their four-game Northern Athletics Conference winning streak to Lisle Tuesday afternoon to battle against the first-place Benedictine Eagles. The Eagles had their way in the first game, winning 6-0. However, the Cougars battled the Eagles on even terms for most of game two before Benedictine scored a run in the eighth to win 2-1 and complete the sweep.
Benedictine took charge of game one early with three runs in the first. Eagles' pitcher Brittany Adcox helped herself by driving in a run, and she added a second RBI in the third as the Eagles plated two more. Meanwhile, Concordia managed just four hits off Adcox. Three Cougar runners got as far as second base but were left there as the Eagles notched the shutout.
The Cougars struck early in game two. After one out,
Cassie Slechta (Berwyn, IL/Walther Lutheran) singled to center.
Tracy Bonaccorsi (Lombard, IL/Montini Catholic) singled, sending pinch-runner
Moira Quinlan (Franklin Park, IL/East Leyden) to second.
Renee Benjamin (Chicago, IL/Mather) then singled to right-center, scoring Quinaln and advancing Bonaccorsi to third. However, the rally ended there as BU's Eryn Pondo retired
Caitlin Richards (Chicago, IL/Mother McAuley) on a liner to centerfield and
Olivia Hires (Denver, CO/Bear Creek) on a liner to rightfield.
The Eagles scratched an unearned run off of Cougar starter
Sami DeFord (South Bend, IN/Marian) in the third. With one out, a single and walk put two runners aboard. A passed ball enabled both runners to move up, and an error at third base allowed the tying run to score. DeFord worked out of further trouble by getting Kara Walsh to line into a double play.
DeFord allowed just one hit through the next four innings, but the Cougars managed just two off of Pondo. Concordia missed a golden opportunity to take the lead in the seventh when Richards doubled with one out. Walsh got Hires on an infield out and, after walking
Jenni Jensen (Chicago, IL/Luther North), retired
Taylor Golden (Chicago, IL/Trinity) on a pop to second for the third out.
Concordia went 1-2-3 in the top of the eighth, but Benedictine went to work immediately as Brittany Wolski led off with a single. The Cougars then misplayed two consecutive sacrifice attempts as both batters reached to load the bases. Nikki Powers ended the tight struggle with a single down the leftfield line for the game-winning hit.
The Cougars (10-20, 8-8 NAC) will host a pair of NAC doubleheaders this weekend, beginning with Marian University at noon on Saturday.
