April 5, 2014 – The Cougars traveled to Milwaukee on Saturday for a doubleheader against the Alverno Inferno. Fireworks ensued as they split the games with the first being a 9-4 victory and the second a 6-5 loss.

In the first game, Meghan Johnson (Glendale Heights, IL/Glenbard West) started on the mound and pitched six innings for the win. Alverno scored a single run in the second inning and three in the fifth., the latter runs all coming after two out.

Fortunately, those runs were overwhelmed by the nine-run onslaught the Cougars hung on the Inferno. It started in the top of the second inning when Alicia Salata (Bartlett, IL/Bartlett) tripled after two outs. Then Hannah Solyom (Lombard, IL/Walther Lutheran) singled her in to get CUC on the board first.

In the top of the third, CUC was at it again as Haley Kalinichenko (Scottsdale, AZ/Horizon) walked and Meghan Johnson singled. With two on base and two outs, Allie Bochat (Crystal Lake, IL/Crystal Lake South) homered to right-centerfield driving in three more runs.

Concordia-Chicago kept up the pressure in the fourth with a leadoff single by Solyom. Three batters later, Kalinichenko grounded out to shortstop and brought in Solyom for the fifth Cougar run of the game.

The top of the fifth was another big inning for the Cougars as they rung up four more on the Inferno. The inning started with a leadoff double by Jenni Jensen (Chicago, IL/Luther North), followed by a walk to Bochat. This set the table for a double to left by Emmy Vowell (Peotone, IL/H.S.) scoring Jensen. Salata singled, bringing in Bochat with no outs. This led to Alverno changing pitchers, which led to two quick outs by the Cougars. However, Andrea Kelly (Elk Grove, CA/Laguna Creek) singled in Vowell and Salata to complete the scoring. Kelly also came in to pitch the seventh inning and finish out the game as CUC won 9-4.

In the second game of the doubleheader, the Cougars again seized the momentum with a four spot in the third inning. Consecutive one-out singles from Kelly, Kalinichenko, and Johnson brought in a run. After another out, Bochat singled in two runs and Vowell reached on an error. Michele Alexander (Tinley Park, IL/Andrew) singled, scoring Bochat and chasing the Alverno pitcher from the game.

An inability to catch foul balls allowed Alverno to extend at bats and turn them into hits. Alverno put up four runs in the bottom of the third, which also saw Kelly replace Salata as pitcher.

In the top of the fourth, the Cougars scored another run to go ahead 5-4. Solyom led off with a single and stole second base. With two outs Johnson singled her home.

The game was quiet till the bottom of the sixth when the Inferno scored two to pull ahead 6-5. The Cougars were unable to respond in the top of the seventh, and they were made to settle for the split.

Concordia returns to the diamond for a home doubleheader Sunday versus Wisconsin Lutheran in River Forest. The games are scheduled at 12:00 and 2:00.