Clermont, Fla.- After enjoying an off day yesterday, the Concordia University Chicago Cougars Softball team came rejuvenated and ready today under windy conditions. The Cougars needed extra innings to secure the first win of the day over Catholic University 6-3 on a Shania Phillips walk off three run homerun. They then came out early again in game two against Elizabethtown taking them down by a final of 8-3. The first win of the day was a big milestone, as head coach Sarah O'Malley-Fisher recorded her 100^th win of her career as head coach of CUC.
 
In game one, CUC built up a 3-0 lead in the second inning. Taylor Kulaszewicz started things with a sharp single past the third basemen. One out later with two on, Melissa Balkema started a string of three singles, with Phillips and Stefanie D'Anna bringing home runs. A final error by Catholic University helped the Cougars to extend their lead to three.
Catholic University climbed back getting single runs in the fourth, sixth and seventh innings to force extras. CUC had a chance to end it in seven with a runner in scoring position, but a line drive was snagged by the Catholic University's second basemen.

In extras, it was Phillips who would play the role of hero for the day, with runners on first and third and two out. Phillips took the first pitch of the at bat and lifted it high into the air, clearing the leftfield fence for the three run walk-off homer.

Phillips, D'Anna and Allison Kruk all record two hits in the game, with Phillips recording four RBI's. Marita Van Dyke picked up her second win of the season inside the circle for CUC. She went the distance, allowing three earned runs while striking out three.
 
In game two, batting as the visitors, the Cougars used the momentum from game one to get going quickly. With one out D'Anna singled to center. With two on and one out Sydney Getz singled to right allowing both Kruk and Balkema to score for the early 2-0 lead.
 
Elizabethtown answered with two solo homeruns in the bottom half of the inning to tie it, but CUC gained the lead back in the top of the second. Kulaszewicz started the inning off with a single to right center. After a sac bunt and a wild pitch moved her all the way around to third, Sydney Sterrett bought Kulaszewicz home with a single to left field to make it 3-2 CUC.
 
The same score would hold until the fifth when CUC added two insurance runs. After the first two batters of the inning were retired, D'Anna singled to right on a full count pitch and then quickly stole second and third. Balkema then legged out an infield single, and was brought all the way around on a Kruk double to left to push the lead to 5-2.
 
Elizabethtown got one back in the bottom half, but CUC did not sleep on their two run lead. Much like the fifth, the CUC half of the seventh started with the first two batters being retired. D'Anna singled to get things going, and then quickly made her way to third. Which base she was on didn't matter though as Balkema ripped off a line drive homerun to left center for her first of the year. With runners on second and third following the homerun, Kristen Landon plated the final run of the day for CUC on an infield single.
 
Julianne Nation picked up her second win of the year inside the circle for CUC. The senior went the distance, allowing three runs on just five hits, throwing the complete game in a tidy 89 pitches.
 
The Cougars (4-2) will return to action tomorrow morning in Clermont with another double header. First pitch comes at 9:00am (EST).