March 12, 2016- The reaction today after the final out of game two sums up the week perfectly. The whole Concordia University Chicago Softball team coming running out of the dugout together all full of smiles giving each other high fives and enjoying the Florida sun, and oh yeah, there is this little nine game winning streak that they are on to go with those smiles. Today would be the final two games for the team on their trip against a very strong NAIA team in the Judson Eagles. Runs would be at a premium all day long with the Cougars winning both games by 3-1 and 3-2 scores. Homeruns from seniors Meghan Johnson (Glendale Heights, IL, Glenbard West) and Allie Bochat (Crystal Lake, IL, Crystal Lake South) proved to be the difference in the two victories.

Game one of the day would begin under partly cloudy skys but a beautiful final day for softball on the trip. CUC as has been a very common theme on the trip would get to scoring early. Stefanie D'Anna (LaGrange Park, IL, Lyons Township) would start the game off with a perfectly placed bunt for a single. After a sac bunt would move D'Anna up 60 feet. The 60 feet would not matter much though as Johnson would step up to the plate and hammer a 2-0 pitch deep to straight away center field for the two run home run to give CUC all the run support it would need in the game. Bochat would keep the inning going with a single. Marita Van Dyke (Brownsburg, IN, Tri-West) would walk and Alicia Salata (Bartlett, IL, Bartlett) would load the bases with an infield single, but CUC would strand the bases loaded, but lead 2-0.

Van Dyke would make her first start of the trip inside the circle in game one. She would pitch well for CUC working through the first three innings. Judson would scrape one across in the first with one run on two hits, but from there the freshman Van Dyke would be in complete control allowing just three hits over her three innings of work while striking out two.

Johnson would come in the game in relief of Van Dyke. She would continue the overall strong week for the Cougar pitching staff allowing just one Eagle baserunner while working the last four innings and picking up her third win of the year.

CUC would get one more big insurance run in the top half of the sixth. Bochat would lead off with a line drive double over the right fielders head to begin the inning. Kristina Morsovillo (Earlville, IL, Earlville) would pinch run for Bochat. Michele Alexander (Tinley Park, IL, Andrew) would step up and promptly rope another double off of the base of the left centerfield wall to score Morsovillo easily from second. The double would be all the run support that Johnson would need allowing just the one base runner in the sixth, and sitting down the Eagles in order in the seventh to secure the 3-1 victory and the eighth in a row.

In game two, the Cougars would bat as the home team. It would be much warmer but CUC would be cool under pressure to gut out a hard fought victory. Julianne Nation (Oswego, IL, Oswego) would start the game for CUC inside the circle with her 0.88 ERA. Judson would be able to get just one run off of Nation in her three innings of work. The run for the Eagles would come in the top of the first. a leadoff walk to begin the game would put a runner on. A sac bunt would advance the runner, and the runner would tag to third on a fly ball to right. A single up the middle would give the Eagles the 1-0 lead early.

CUC would not allow the Eagles to work with a lead for long. With one out Melissa Balkema (Saint John, IN, Hanover Central) would single through the left side. Johnson and Bochat would walk to load the bases for Alexander. She would single to right field to tie the game. CUC would get their second run of the inning when the ball would scoot past the Eagle catcher and to the backstop just far enough for Johnson to race home from third to give CUC the 2-0 lead after one.

The second inning would be scoreless for the two teams, but the third and most critical run for CUC would come in the bottom half of the third. Bochat would step up to the plate for CUC. She would be patient working the count to a favorable 2-0. She would get exactly what she was looking for on the next pitch, taking a belt high fastball and tattooing it well over the centerfield wall. She would be greeted with cheers from her teammates at home plate and give CUC the 3-1 lead through three.

Salata would work in relief of Nation, her last outing a eight inning affair was a gutted out win, and today would be much of the same from Salata. Judson would be searching for the tying runs. They would get one back in the top of the fourth. A walk would put the leadoff runner on. Salata would strike out the next batter swinging. A brilliant backhanded grab by D'Anna would be for nothing when her flip to second wasn't able to get the out when the umpire called the runner safe because the ball was bobbled. A single to left would score the runner from second to make it a 3-2 game, and Salata would strike out the final hitter to end the threat.

Salata would continue to work through tough situations, she would face the Eagles with runners on first and second with one out in the fifth, and then runners on second and third in the inning with two outs, but she would be able to induce a pop-up to D'Anna to end the threat. The sixth would be tense as well. A lead off double would put the Eagles in business and a sac bunt would put the tying run just 60 feet away. Salata would strike out the next two Eagle hitters to preserve the lead heading to the seventh.

The seventh would have everyone in attendence holding their breath. Courtney Pepper (South Bend, IN, Penn) would come in for the save for CUC. Unfortunately the first two runners would reach base against Pepper and Head Coach Sarah O'Malley-Fisher would opt to bring Salata back in. Salata would have a senior type moment to close out the game for CUC. She would induce a fly ball to Pepper in left for the first out of the inning keeping the runners at first and second. The Eagles would opt to bunt to put the runners 60 feet away with two outs. Salata would work the count in her favor, a sinking line drive would have everyone holding their breath, but it would be Megan Strong (Bartlet, IL, St. Edward Central Catholic) coming in to make the game ending grab belt high and secure the ninth consecutive win for CUC.

Johnson would extend her hitting streak to eight games with a hit in each game today. Bochat would reach base four times in the two games on three hits. Alexander would get her bat going as well with three hits and two RBI's on the day. Salata and Johnson would pick up the wins for CUC inside the circle improving to 2-0 and 3-0 respectively while dropping the team ERA to 1.60 at the end of the Florida trip. This would match the strong offensive output on the week where the Cougars would outscore their opponents by a total of 78-9.

The Cougars (10-1) will have a couple week break before putting their winning streak on the line again. This time it will be in front of their home crowd at the Concordia Softball Field, where they will take on North Central College in a non-conference double header on March 31st with first pitch scheduled for 3:30p.m.