April 16, 2015 – The Cougars traveled to play non-conference opponent Elmhurst College on Thursday. It was a crisp spring day as the first game of the afternoon saw CUC fall in the first game 7-6 in 10 innings to stop their winning streak at ten, the Cougars' longest winning streak since the 1984 season. In the second game, the Cougars they won an 11-7 game that was called after five innings due to darkness.
 
Head Coach Sarah O'Malley-Fisher said, "The girls are working hard, and if one person is having trouble, then their teammates step up and help out. The support for each other and the mental ability to work through tough moments are what makes a team successful."

In game one, freshman Courtney Pepper (South Bend, IN/Penn) pitched into the sixth inning, and freshman Julianne Nation (Oswego, IL/H.S.) finished out the remaining four innings. CUC battled tough as they gave up four runs in the bottom of the first inning. In the top of the second, the Cougars loaded the bases, but weren't able to plate any runs.

Emmy Vowell (Peotone, IL/H.S.) singled in Jenni Jensen (Chicago, IL/Luther North) in the top of the fourth  to claw back one run. In the top of the fifth, Alicia Salata (Bartlett, IL/H.S.) singled in Allie Bochat (Crystal Lake, IL/Crystal Lake South) to halve the lead at 4-2. But a throw off the Elmhurst batter's helmet allowed two runs to score for the Bluejays in the fifth, extending the lead to 6-2.

Down to their final three outs in the seventh, the Cougars loaded the bases with no outs, Salata singled in Michele Alexander (Tinley Park, IL/Andrew) to make it 6-3. Elmhurst made a pitching change, and Vowell came to bat with the bases loaded and two outs. Vowell doubled in all three baserunners to tie the game at six apiece.

Both teams played scoreless ball in the eighth and ninth innings. In the tenth, the teams moved to international rules. This means that each team starts the inning with a runner on second base. In the bottom of the inning, the Bluejays singled in a run to win 7-6.

In game two, Meghan Johnson (Glendale Heights, IL/Glenbard West) started off on the mound as the game started an hour behind schedule..Salata and Nation also pitched in a team effort. The light was beginning to fade as Elmhurst again jumped out to a quick lead in the bottom of the first. This time it was only 2-0. CUC responded in the top of the second by again loading the bases with one out. Adriana Cura (Romeoville, IL/Plainfield South) singled in two runs to tie the game. With two outs, an error on the shortstop allowed Cura to score from third. A hit batsman loaded the bases again, but no further runs were forthcoming. In the bottom of the inning, Elmhurst scored one to tie the game at 3-3.

In the third, Salata doubled in Jensen to give the lead back to CUC at 4-3. Alexander later scored on a wild pitch, and then Cura crushed a home run to leftfield scoring two more, But Elmhurst fought back with two runs in the bottom of the inning to trim the CUC lead to 7-5.
 
Concordia kept scoring however, as Jensen reached on a leadoff walk in the fourth and Alexander powered a 230 foot home run over the leftfield fence for a 9-5 CUC lead. In the bottom of the fourth, the Bluejays scored another to make it 9-6.

In the top of the fifth inning, as the sun went down behind the tree line, the teams continued to play. Johnson was called out at first, but it was enough to get Stefanie D'Anna (LaGrange Park, IL/Lyons Township) across the plate. Then Bochat singled in Kruk for an 11-6 lead. In the bottom of the fifth, Elmhurst crept closer but only got one run off the pitching of Nation as sho closed out her second game of the day. The inning and game ended as Jensen caught a line drive at short and rifled it to Bochat at first base for the double play to end the inning. The game was then called because of darkness after five innings.
 
The Cougars return to NACC play on Saturday for a double header against MSOE at 12 and 2 p.m.. Senior Day is being celebrated on Sunday against CUW with games at 1 and 3 p.m..