Milwaukee, Wis. – With the 2018 regular season quickly coming to a close, the Concordia University Chicago Softball team took to the road for their final true road test of the season. They took on the Alverno Inferno in two key NACC contests. The Cougars got the scoring going early in game one, including Melissa Balkema launching a new program best 19^th career homer in route to a 9-3 win. CUC then scored five times in the third inning of game two, and got great pitching to seal the sweep with the 5-3 win.
 
In game one, the Cougars continued their trend of success when scoring early. With two outs and runners on second and third, Allison Kruk laced a ground ball single up the middle on a 2-2 pitch to score Stefanie D'Anna.
 
The Cougars added on in the third inning. After a D'Anna single through the left side, Marita Van Dyke launched her sixth homer of the season to deep center, pushing the lead to 3-0. The Cougars then added on three more in the fourth. With runners on second and third, an error allowed the fourth run of the game for the Cougars to score. With the bases loaded and two outs, it was Kruk again with a single up the middle to push the CUC lead to 6-0.
 
Alverno was able to work back within 6-3 on three unearned runs. The Cougars were able to regain the momentum though in the top of the sixth. Balkema led off the inning with her tenth longball of the season to left. With the homer she also set the new career record for the program. One out later, Van Dyke launched her second of the day over the left field wall to push the lead to 8-3.
 
The Cougars were able to add on one more in the seventh. After Shania Phillips led off with a bunt single, an error allowed her to race all the way around to score the ninth and final run of game one.
 
Van Dyke picked up her 13^th win of the season in game one. The junior allowed eight hits on the day and no earned runs while striking out six. The Cougars had four players record multiple hits in game one. Van Dyke and Kruk both led with two hits and three driven in.
 
In game two, the Cougars used great pitching alongside a big five run third inning to sweep the series. Julianne Nation provided one of her strongest outings of the season, working five and two thirds innings, allowing seven hits and no earned runs while striking out five.
 
The Cougars got their only scoring in the third. With one out, Balkema laced a 1-2 pitch into left center for a double. D'Anna followed with a double of her own to right center to open the scoring. A single by Van Dyke followed to score D'Anna. With two outs, Kruk kept the inning alive with a single through the middle. Kristen Landon then added the big hit of the inning, a two RBI triple to right. Taylor Kulaszewicz added the finishing touches on the inning with a double to right which made it 5-0 CUC.
 
Alverno made things interesting in the sixth, scoring three unearned runs on three hits. They continued to threaten with two outs and the tying run on second, but Van Dyke was able to induce a popup to end the threat. She then worked a clean seventh for her second save of the year.
 
Balkema paced the Cougars offensively with three hits. Landon led with two RBI's. Kulaszewicz added two hits as well.
 
The Cougars (22-11; 13-5 NACC) will close out the 2018 regular season this weekend with four home games. The first series is tomorrow against Wisconsin Lutheran. First pitch is set for 12:00pm.