March 2, 2015 – The Concordia-Chicago softball team had some challenges before them as they started the 2015 season with a weeklong trip to Titusville, FL. Their first outdoor practice of the year was to be Saturday evening after traveling directly from the airport, but it was rained out. Then Sunday's two games were also postponed because of flooded fields, setting up a situation in which the Cougars would play not two, but three games on Monday. And finally, there was the little matter of adjusting to the almost 90 degree swing in weather from -5 degrees at night in Chicago to approximately 80 degrees in Florida.
 
Head coach Sarah O-Malley-Fisher said, "The purpose of this week is to get us ready for our conference season and we are going to use this as a way to improve each and every game that we play. I look at this like spring training in MLB. It is a chance to get the freshman acclimated to college softball and integrated into the team to prepare us for the season ahead."
 
Game 1 vs Madonna University
 
The first game of the season started out slowly for both teams as neither got the ball out of the infield in the first two innings. Junior ace Meghan Johnson (Glendale Heights, IL/Glenbard West) struck out the first two batters swinging and then induced the next three to ground out to her. Finally, for the sixth out she allowed another player to help out as shortstop Jenni Jensen (Chicago, IL/Luther North) fielded the grounder and finished the second inning.
 
In the top of the third inning after Michelle Alexander (Tinley Park, IL/Andrew) was hit by a pitch, Hannah Solyom (Lombard, IL/Walther) singled to left. Unfortunately, the Cougars stranded both. The next significant action was in the bottom of the fifth inning as Madonna managed to load the bases with one out, but a stout CUC defense only allowed one run to cross the plate. However, Madonna would add to their lead with two runs in the sixth.
 
As Concordia-Chicago entered the top of the seventh, they needed to make up three runs, and a wild half inning ensued as the Cougar bats started to thaw. Johnson started with a leadoff single and a pinch runner, Allison Kruk (Elgin, IL/St Edward), entered the game. Allie Bochat (Crystal Lake, IL/Crystal Lake South) reached on an error by the shortstop and Kruk advanced to second. Emmy Vowell (Peotone, IL/H.S.), who made the most consistent contact through all three games, was out on a long fly to left center. Jensen reached first on a fielder's choice that caught Bochat at second, but Kruk made it to third with only two outs. Then a double steal was called, and Jensen successfully stole second base drawing a throw from the catcher Kruk stole home. That was the only CUC run and the game ended 3-1 in favor of Madonna.
 
Game 2 vs Cardinal Stritch
 
Freshman Courtney Pepper (South Bend, IN/Penn) got her first collegiate start, after pitching a few innings against Madonna in relief, as CUC faced its second consecutive NAIA opponent. Stritch managed a run in the first inning. In the CUC half of the first, Vowell singled and Bochat doubled, but they were left stranded.

Freshman pitcher Julianne Nation (Oswego, IL/Oswego) also saw her first collegiate action in the third inning. Unfortunately, Stritch sandwiched runs in the fourth and sixth innings around a lone Vowell single. They added two more in the top of the seventh for the final score of Stritch 5, CUC 0.
 
Game 3 vs St Catharine (KY) College
 
The Cougars started the third game of the day with junior starting pitcher Alicia Salata (Bartlett, IL/Bartlett) in the pitching circle. The first inning didn't go well for the Cougars as an error and some wild pitches contributed to two runs for St Catharine's. In the top of the second, Bochat singled and was moved to second by Jensen. Adriana Cura (Romeoville, IL/Plainfield South) bunt singled, moving Cochat to third, but nothing came of the situation.
 
After a 1-2-3 bottom of the second for Salata, the Cougars stranded two runners in the top of the third. Stefanie D'Anna (LaGrange Park, IL/Lyons Township) reached on an error by the shortstop, and Johnson doubled to center field with only one out to no avail. In the bottom of the third, St Catharine managed a third run, but CUC got one back in the fourth.
 
Bochat singled leading off the inning and Jensen drew a walk. Cura sacrificed them to second and third respectively. Emily Owens (Naperville/Neuqua Valley) walked to load the bases with one out. Salata flied out to left, scoring Bochat, and CUC stranded the remaining two runners. In the fifth inning, St Catharine added an insurance run and made the final margin 4-1 in their favor.
 
The next set of games will be Tuesday, March 3 with games against AIB College of Business from Iowa and a rematch against Cardinal Stritch.