Clermont, Fla. – After a season opening split yesterday, the Concordia University Chicago Cougars looked to get their first sweep of the season today. The day started off strong with the bats coming alive in an 11-1 win over the University of Pittsburgh Greensburg. CUC then held a lead in game two, but a five run fourth inning for Ursinus College was too much to overcome. The Cougars fell in game two by a final of 6-3.
In game one, the Cougar bats were rolling from the opening pitch. The first two batters reached for CUC, on a walk and an error.
Marita Van Dyke then stepped up and singled to right field, plating the first run.
Allison Kruk then brought home the second run of the inning on a sac fly to left.
CUC continued to swing in the second. Riley McGuire led off with a single to center. After an error put another runner on,
Stefanie D'Anna singled to left scoring
Elizabeth Foxley. Shaina Phillips kept things going with a single of her own to left. With the bases loaded, Kruk ripped a double to left center to break the game open early. CUC was able to plate one more run in the inning as CUC batted around, taking a 7-0 lead after just two innings.
The Cougars added on with four more runs in the third. After D'Anna led off with a walk, Phillips followed with a line drive homerun about ten feet inside the left field foul pole. That would not be the final long ball in the inning. One batter later,
Sydney Getz launched a blast of her own to straightaway center field, pushing the Cougar lead to 11-0.
CUC got equally as good pitching from
Julianne Nation and
Karlee Knight to keep the Bobcats at bay. The two combined to allow just one hit and one run while striking out four on the day.
Phillips paced the Cougar offense in the game, going 2-2 with two RBI's while scoring three times. In total CUC had nine hits in the contest.
In game two, the two teams battled scoreless until the fourth inning. CUC broke through first in the top of the fourth. Three straight infield singles by Van Dyke, Kruk and Getz loaded the bases with no one out. One out later a walk plated a run, and an RBI groundout by
Madison Knoblauch made it 2-0 CUC.
Unfortunately for the Cougars, Ursinus answered back in the bottom half. Ursinus scored five runs on four hits in the inning, and were aided by four walks in the inning. Ursinus added another insurance run in the sixth. CUC worked to mount a comeback in the seventh bringing the tying run to the plate, but a line drive was snagged to end the Cougar threat.
D'Anna and Van Dyke paced the CUC offense, each going 2-4 on the day. Walks proved costly for CUC inside the circle with a total of eight free passes given.
The Cougars (2-2) will return to action on Wednesday morning when they ready for games five and six of their spring break trip.
