Box Score March 6,2016- It's finally the time of year where the gym shoes are traded for cleats and a heated gym is traded with a beautiful March day for Concordia University Softball. The Cougars would being their annual spring break trip to Florida today, using 11 runs over the last two innings to run away with a lopsided 14-1 trip opening win over Rivier College at the ESPN Wide World of Sports Complex in beautiful Orlando, Florida. The Cougars would bang out 15 hits in total in the win.

CUC would waste no time after taking to the freshly groomed dirt to get the offensive attack going. Stefanie D'Anna (LaGrange Park, IL, Lyons Township) would start off the top of the first with a bunt single and then promptly steal second. Allison Kruk (Elgin, IL, St. Edward) would follow D'Anna with a double off the wall to plate the first run of the game. After a fly out,Allie Bochat (Crystal Lake, IL, Crystal Lake South) would get hit by a pitch to put two runners on, but an unfortunate double play would limit the Cougars to just one run in the inning.

Meghan Johnson (Glendale Heights, IL, Glenbard West) would take to the circle for CUC for the first time in the young season this afternoon. Rivier would answer back with their only run of the game in the bottom half of the first. A leadoff bunt and a stolen base would get the bottom half of the inning started. A sac bunt would advance the runner to third. Michele Alexander (Tinley Park, IL, Andrew) would handle a hot shot at third base to retire the second batter. An untimely passed ball on a walk would allow the lone Rivier run to score in the inning.

Both teams would go quietly in the second inning, but it would be the strong top of the order for CUC back at it again in the third. D'Anna would again lead off with a single, this time down the left field line. Kruk would reach on a bunt single to put runners on the corners. Kruk would quickly steal second. Johnson would line out deep to right for the sac fly giving D'Anna plenty of time to race home from third. After a strikeout, Alexander would come up to bat and hit a grounder to short that could not be handled, giving Kruk the chance to score the second and final run of the inning. 

Johnson would settle in nicely for the Cougars, working quickly through four innings for the Cougars. Replacing her with the score 3-1 CUC in the fifth would be fellow senior pitcher Alicia Salata (Bartlett, IL, Bartlett). Salata would work around a lead off walk in her first inning of work, and would continue to cruise with a strong Cougar defense behind her. 

The Cougars' offensive attack would put multiple insurance runs on the board in the sixth. After a leadoff groundout, Courtney Pepper (South Bend, IN, Penn) would continue her strong offensive day with her second hit, a single to left field. Sydney Getz (St. Joseph, MI, St. Joseph) would be called upon to make a pinch hitting appearance and would deliver with another base hit this time to right center field. Pepper would cruise into third on te play.Marita Van Dyke (Brownsburg, IN, Tri-West) would also pinch hit in the inning. She would continue the hit parade with single through the left side on an 0-2 count. Pepper would score on the play. D'Anna would reach on a fielders choice bringing up Kruk once again. Kruk would take a 1-2 pitch and square it up perfectly sending it well over the right center field fence for the three run homerun to cap off the four run sixth. 

After Salata would make quick work of Rivier in the bottom of the 6th. CUC really would put their foot on the gas in the seventh. Meghan Kendra (Tinley Park, IL, Tinley Park ) would pinch hit, and get hit by a 1-1 pitch to begin the inning. Alexander would walk to put the first two aboard. Following a flyout, Pepper would single to center field to load the bases. The next three Cougar batters would get free passes to first, two on walks and one hit by pitch to force home three more runs. Johnson would single through the right side to score two. Bochat single home the 14th and final run of the game for the Cougars. 

Kruk would finish just a triple shy of the cycle while driving in five runs and also steal three bases in the Florida opener. D'Anna would score four times in the game, and Pepper would also have three hits in the game including a double. Johnson would get the win allowing one unearned run and only three hits in four innings of work, while Salata would pick up the three inning save for CUC.

The Cougars (2-1) will be back on the diamond tomorrow afternoon with doubleheader action from Florida with opening pitch set for 12p.m.(EST) against Iowa Wesleyan.