May 5, 2016 - The season of records would continue today for the Concordia University Chicago Cougar softball team. Their second season began early on Thursday morning in sunny but chilly Milwaukee as the sixth-seeded Cougars met the third-seeded Benedictine Eagles. The Cougars fought tough against the Eagles, but the steady Eagles were able to push across one run in the third, fourth and sixth, and two in the fifth while getting great pitching to take the first round matchup 5-0.
 
The pitching matchup for the first round matchup would feature Holly Haberkorn for Benedictine and Marita Van Dyke (Brownsburg, IN/Tri-West) for CUC. Both pitchers showed no post-season nerves early, combining to allow just one hit in the first two innings. CUC got their first chance to score in the top of the third. Van Dyke led off with a line-drive double over the head of the centerfielder. A sacrifice bunt advanced her to third with one out, but Haberkorn would strand her there.

Benedictine scratched runs across in both the third and the fourth. The run scored in the third on three hits. A single to left scored the runner from third but the runner from second would be gunned out on a perfect throw by Kristina Morsovillo (Earlville, IL/H.S.) to end the third. The run in the fourth was grounded on a single up the middle, but Van Dyke worked out of the two runner jam to keep it 2-0 Benedictine after four.

CUC placed a leadoff runner aboard in the fourth with a double by Allison Kruk (Elgin, IL/St. Edward), but she was erased on a double play. CUC  tried to fight back in the fifth. Melissa Balkema (Saint John, IN/Hanover Central) led off with a single through the left side. With one out, Van Dyke singled to left to give the threat some momentum. With two outs, a double steal put both runners in scoring position, but Haberkorn induced a harmless popup to end the threat.

Benedictine was looking for the knockout punch in the bottom of the fifth. The Eagles loaded the bases and got one across with one out. Head Coach Sarah O'Malley-Fisher then turned to Alicia Salata (Bartlett,  IL/H.S.) to keep the Cougars in striking distance. A batter's interference gave the Cougars two outs in the inning. A walk plated the fourth run of the game for Benedictine, and Salata ended the threat with a fly out to right.

The Cougars got a leadoff single by Stefanie D'Anna (LaGrange Park, IN/Lyons Township) in the sixth. With two outs, Meghan Johnson (Glendale Heights, IL/Glenbard West) came within feet of putting CUC on the board pulling a line drive just foul down the rightfield line. Benedictine continued to put pressure on CUC with a two out RBI double to push the score to 5-0. CUC would have one runner reach in the seventh but would get no further than first base. 

The Cougars (24-14) are still alive in the double-elimination tournament. They will take on the loser of game number four of the tournament which was the Dominican Stars. They fell to the top-seeded Aurora Spartans by a final score of 10-2 in a run-rule shortened five inning game. The Cougars will be back on the field tomorrow against the Stars in an elimination contest at Alverno at 11 a.m.