Box Score 1 | Box Score 2 March 7, 2016- How a team starts a game and a season will often determine where things are headed. For the Concordia University Chicago Softball team, if things continue to go the way they are it is going to be a fun year for the Cougar softball faithful. CUC would take to the field for their first double header action in Florida. They would hit the ball well in both games, and pitch even better. Allowing just two runs in 14 innings of work and scoring 11 runs total. They would shutout the Tigers in game one and win by a score of 4-0, and then break out the brooms with a strong offensive attack winning 7-2 in game two.

In game one for the Cougars it would be Julianne Nation (Oswego, IL, Oswego) who would take to the circle for CUC. She would put together a dominate performance for the Cougars in her four innings of work allowing just three hits during that span. Hannah Mixer for the Tigers would be just as dominate over the first four innings, keeping the Cougars off-balence with a good mix of pitches. 

CUC would get on the board in the top half of the fifth. Alicia Salata (Bartlett, IL, Bartlett) would lead off with a double over the center fielders head. Courtney Pepper (South Bend, IN, Penn) would then bunt her over to third. Salata would need no help though to score, racing home when a Tiger pitch would slip past the catcher giving CUC the 1-0 lead. Sydney Getz (St. Joseph, MI, St. Joseph) would single to try and keep the inning going but two flyouts would end the scoring for the inning.

Marita Van Dyke (Brownsburg, IN, Tri-West) come on to pitch for CUC in relief of Nation in the 5th. She would continue the strong pitching performance for the Cougars allowing just two hits in relief work for the Cougars picking up her first career save in a Cougar uniform. 

CUC would get some much needed insurance runs in the top of the seventh. Meghan Johnson (Glendale Heights, IL, Glenbard West) would lead off with a single to center. Salata would single on a bunt, then race into second when the catchers throw went ary. An illegal pitch would score pinch runner Megan Strong (Bartlet, IL, St. Edward Central Catholic) from third. With one out Emily Owens (Naperville, IL, Neuqua Valley) would step up for CUC and hit a ball deep enough into the outfield for Salata to tag u and score. Melissa Balkema (Saint John, IN, Hanover Central) would continue the inning with a single through the left side, then quickly steal second. Stefanie D'Anna (LaGrange Park, IL, Lyons Township) would then finish the Cougar scoring with a double scoring Balkema.

CUC would close out game one 4-0, with Nation picking up the win for the Cougars. D'Anna, Johnson and Salata would all have two hits in the game, with Salata scoring twice. 

Game two would see the Cougars continue to play a strong all-around game. Pepper would take to the circle in her first start of the year for CUC. The tigers would come out swinging quickly in the top of the first, aided by a Cougar error they would plate the first run of the game on two hits in the top of the first. 

CUC would get that run back plus one in the bottom of the second. Salata would single to lead off. Getz getting the start behind the plate would advance her on a sac bunt. An error would put Balkema at first and Salata at thrid. Balkema would then steal on the first pitch, and Salata would take advantage of the throw down to second to tie the game. Balkema would then steal third setting up Allison Kruk (Elgin, IL, St. Edward) for the RBI single through the left side to give CUC the 2-1 lead.

Wesleyan would answer back with a game tying home run, but that would be all the scoring for the day for the Tigers. CUC would break the 2-2 tie in the bottom of the fourth. With one out Balkema would draw a walk. Kruk would follow that with the go-ahead tripple off the right center wall. D'Anna would drive in Kruk with a sac fly. Kristina Morsovillo (Earlville, IL, Earlville) would keep the party going with two outs with a double. Johnson would bring her home. Allie Bochat (Crystal Lake, IL, Crystal Lake South) would try to keep things alive with a single in the inning but CUC would get three in the inning. 

Looking for more breathing room CUC would be back at it again in the fifth. Getz and Salata would lead off the inning with back-to-back singles. After a fielders choice, Kruk would load the bases with a bunt single. The Tigers would be able to get a force out at second and look to escape the seventh, but it would be the freshman Morsovillo who would drive in two more runs for CUC with a single through the left side to give the Cougars the final 7-2 advantage. 

Bochat, Morsovillo, and Kruk would all have three hits in game two. Pepper would pick up the win allowing just two runs in five innings of work. Salata would also pitch two scoreless innings for CUC.

The Cougars (4-1) will continue their spring break trip tomorrow with another double-header with the first game against SUNY Potsdam set to begin at 1:00pm (EST)