April 10, 2016- With rain all over the forecast today, not many people would believe that softball was actually played in River Forest this afternoon. With the wind blowing in from left, and a near constant drizzle the Concordia Chicago Cougars would match-up with the Marian Sabres in an important early NACC double header. Marian would come back twice in game one to sneak out a 5-4 victory. In game two the Cougar bats would come alive in a steady rain to rip nine hits, and win 8-5.

Game one would have the Cougar fans seeing the same story in the first inning that they have come used too all season. After Meghan Johnson (Glendale Heights, IL, Glenbard West) would sit down the Sabres in order in the top of the first, CUC would get to work with the bats in the bottom half. Stefanie D'Anna (LaGrange Park, IL, Lyons Township) would lay down one her classic bunts and would beat out the throw to start the inning. She would steal second base two pitches later with Melissa Balkema (Saint John, IN, Hanover Central) at the plate. Balkema would reach on an infield single to the shortstop. Just two pitches later again Balkema would take off for second and beat the throw to second, that would sail past the covering shortstop allowing D'Anna to score from third to give CUC the early 1-0 lead.

Johnson would be on cruise control until the fourth. Marian would take advantage of two Cougar errors in the inning, all with two outs. An error would extend the inning for Marian. Three straight hits would follow allowing three unearned runs to cross the plate and give the Sabres the 3-1 lead. CUC would answer quickly though in the bottom of the fourth. Alicia Salata (Bartlett, IL, Bartlett) would reach on an error. Sydney Getz (St. Joseph, MI, St. Joseph) would flare a single just inside the rightfield line to start the rally with no one out. Courtney Pepper (South Bend, IN, Penn) would strike out swinging, but a throwing error by the catcher would allow both Getz and Salata to race around and score to tie the game at three after four. 

CUC would reclaim the lead in the bottom of the fifth. Balkema would single to begin the inning and be advanced on a sac bunt. She would later score on an Allie Bochat (Crystal Lake, IL, Crystal Lake South) would score Balkema on a fielders choice to make it 4-3 CUC. Marian would get the tying and go-ahead runs in the top of the sixth. A single, a sac bunt, and a double would tie the game at four. After a lineout, the Sabres would come up with a big two out hit through the left side to plate what proved to be the game winning run.

The tandem of D'Anna and Balkema would go a combined 4-6 in game one for CUC. Johnson would fall to 3-2 on the year after throwing six innings, allowing just two earned runs. Julianne Nation (Oswego, IL, Oswego) would throw a scoreless inning of relief for CUC in the seventh.

Game two would be much more damp than game one. Marita Van Dyke (Brownsburg, IN, Tri-West) would take to the circle for CUC and sit Marian down in order in the first. D'Anna would start off game two for CUC again with a bunt single. Balkema would move her up 60 feet with a sac bunt. D'Anna would then advance to third on a groundout, and score the first CUC run of game two on a wild pitch. Marian would tie the game at one in the top of the second taking advantage of two walks in the inning. Van Dyke would get a big swing and miss to end the second to strand two runners on base. 

Marian would take the lead in the top of the third. A big triple down the rightfield line, and one other hit in the inning would plate two runs for Marian and give them a 3-1 lead. The Cougars would answer through in the bottom half with three runs of their own.Allison Kruk (Elgin, IL, St. Edward) would draw a leadoff walk and advance to second on a wild pitch. D'Anna would strike out swinging but would reach base when the catcher couldn't get a handle on where to throw the softball with Kruk advancing to third. Johnson would plate the pair with a line drive missile off of the centerfield wall to tie the game. She would advance to third on a groundout, and would be brought in when Michelle Alexander would rip a double of her own into leftcenter. CUC would take a 4-3 lead and never look back.

CUC would slowly add insurance runs in both the fourth and fifth innings. Van Dyke would reach on a walk, and Pepper would reach on a fielders choice to begin the bottom of the fourth. A bunt single by Kruk would load the bases for the top of the order. Pepper would score through when the pitchers ball would sail away from the catcher. D'Anna would ground out to short, allowing Kruk to score to make the score 6-3. CUC would add two more in the fifth. Bochat would lead off with a single through the left side. Kristina Morsovillo (Earlville, IL, Earlville) would pinch run and advance to second on a sac bunt. Salata would reach base when a strike three swing and miss would escape the catcher. Van Dyke would reach again, this time on a fielders choice to load the bases. Kruk would draw a four pitch walk to force one run in. D'Anna would finish the Cougar scoring with a two out single down the leftfield line to plate the final CUC run of the day. CUC would be in for a battle though to close out game two leading 8-3.

Marian would try to rally like game one in both the sixth and seventh. They would scratch two runs across in the fifth on two hits. Nation would come on in relief again, getting the first two batters she faced to ground out and pop up to strand two runners on base. CUC would take a 8-5 lead into the seventh. The first two runners would be able to reach base in the inning. Nation would get a ground out and a strike out to put CUC just one out away from victory. A walk would load the bases and put the tying on base, but Nation would be able to induce a harmless infield popup to pick up her first save of the season. 

D'Anna would enjoy another multi-hit game in game two, Bochat would also record three hits in the game. Johnson and Alexander would also drive in key runs in the game for CUC. Van Dyke would pick up her first win as a Cougar, throwing five and a third innings. Nation would pick up her first save, going the final inning and two thirds allowing just one hit.

The Cougars (12-5 1-3 NACC) will be back in action again tomorrow at home. Tomorrow is a make-up NACC double header against Lakeland College. Opening pitch is set for 3:30p.m.