April 16, 2013 - As the Concordia-Chicago softball team continues to fight for a place in the Northern Athletics Conference tournament, they have shown a tendency to play the top teams very competitively. That trait revealed itself again today as the Cougars took game one of a doubleheader from Benedictine University by a 4-3 score.
Pitchers
Sami DeFord (South Bend, IN/Marian) and Melissa Guzior dominated the first three innings. DeFord retired the first eight batters before giving up a two-out double in the third. However, she escaped trouble by getting Chelsea White to ground out to shortstop.
The Eagles broke through in the fourth. With two out and runners on third and second, Amanda Straka singled to center. The runner on third scored, but the relay from
Olivia Hires (Denver, CO/Bear Creek) to DeFord to catcher
Hannah Solyom (Lombard, IL/Walther Lutheran) was in plenty of time to nail the second runner at the plate.
Benedictine's lead lasted only a few moments.
Megan Johnson (Glendale Heights, IL/Glenbard West) singled to right leading off the Cougars' half of the fourth.
Allie Bochat (Crystal Lake, IL/Crystal Lake South) followed with a line shot to the gap in left-center for a double, Johnson stopping at third.
Jenni Jensen (Chicago, IL/Luther North) worked a walk on a 3-2 pitch, loading the bases. DeFord then battled Guzior through a nine-pitch at-bat before ripping a game-tying single to left. Concordia was poised for a huge inning, but a line-drive double play helped the Eagles work their way out of the jam.
Concordia did not waste their opportunity in the fifth. Hires was hit by a pitch with one out and advanced to second on
Andrea Kelly's (Elk Grove, CA/Laguna Creek) single. Johnson then belted Guzior's first pitch over the fence in right for her fifth homer of the season and a 4-1 lead.
DeFord worked her way around a lead-off single in the sixth, but the Eagles tightened things up in the seventh. Alex Daviera led off with a base hit, and Straka followed with a blast to deep right-center that cleared the fence and cut the Cougars' lead to one run. However, DeFord retired the next three batters to give the Cougars their first victory over the Eagles since 1982.
The Eagles got their revenge in game two with a 13-1 win shortened to five innings. The visitors scored in every inning including a six-spot in the fourth inning. Kailee Cable hit the only homer of the game, a two-run shot in the fifth.
Concordia prevented a shutout by Benedictine's Ashley Parrott in their final at-bat. DeFord led off with a shot to deep leftfield. The fielder raced back and got a glove on the ball but hit the fence as the ball fell to the ground. DeFord raced all the way to third with the Cougars' first hit of the game. Salata then ripped a clean single to center to score DeFord.
The Cougars (10-17, 7-7 NAC) will look to make up a previous rainout with Wisconsin Lutheran College this Thursday in Milwaukee.
