March 5, 2017 - The 2017 Concordia-Chicago softball season finally began today in sunny Clermont, Florida. The Cougars would take to the field twice on opening day looking to build on a record-setting 2016 that saw them set the school wins record and make it to the Northern Athletics Collegiate Conference tournament for a second straight year. The Cougars would use two big innings in the season opener to win 7-3 over Misericordia, then would fall in game two 11-0 to SUNY Oneonta.
 
In game one, Misericordia would strike first with two runs on no hits, taking advantage of a few early Cougar nerves. They would make it 3-0 with another run in the second inning before starting pitcher Marita Van Dyke would settle in over the next five innings not allowing a run, while buying time for the offensive attack to get going.
 
 CUC plated their first runs of the season in the fourth inning. Melissa Balkema provided the spark with a line-drive double off the centerfield wall. Taylor Kulaszewicz followed with a RBI single to left field. She advanced to second on the throw that went all the way to the plate. One out later with Kulaszewicz on third, Megan Strong lifted a fly ball deep enough into the outfield for a sac fly to pull CUC within one. Stefanie D'Anna got things restarted with an infield slap single, and promptly stole second, one of four stolen bases in the game.  CUC plated the tying run when a slap to second base by Allison Kruk was too hot for the second basemen to handle. D'Anna raced all the way around from second base to tie the game at three.
 
The Cougars used the momentum after a 1-2-3 top half of the sixth to take control in the bottom half. With one out Strong singled up the middle. D'Anna then singled, pulling one through the right side. Kruk then laid down a bunt that the pitcher fielded and tried to get the lead runner Strong at third, but the throw was late, loading the bases for Michele Alexander. The senior delivered with a single up the middle that allowed both Strong and D'Anna to race home. After a Misericordia pitching change, Van Dyke laid down a perfect bunt on the third base line for a hit, scoring Kruk. Katie Sullivan provided the final offense with a single to centerfield that scored Alexander to make it 7-3 CUC.
 
D'Anna led the way with three hits and two runs scored with a stolen base. Strong also supplied two key hits as well including a sac fly. Balkema also had timely hits including the double that sparked the three run fourth. Van Dyke went the distance in the opener, allowing three runs on eight hits while striking out four.
 
In game two, CUC took on SUNY Oneonta. The Red Dragons plated 11 runs in the contest, with only five of them being earned. Two errors to begin the second inning gave momentum to the five-run inning that broke the game open leading to the 11-0 final score. 

"Overall it was a good day," said CUC head coach Sarah O'Malley-Fisher. " We competed and learned a lot about our selves in these two games. We didn't panic when we got down early in game one, and then we did what we teach, being aggressive on the basepaths. We have plenty of more work to do, but it is a good starting point for us to build on from here."