April 23, 2019 y two of the Concordia-Chicago softball team's busiest week of the season took the team to Rockford, IL today for a make-up of two games against the Regents. The Cougars were in search of two wins after falling to 7-8 in the conference, and they got them today behind solid pitching from Kate Roberts and Holly Bathje. Some timely hitting added to the mix as the Cougars won by scores of 6-1 and 4-2.

In game one, Rockford broke the ice with a run in the first, but CUC evened the score in the third. Melissa Balkema started things off with a walk, and she raced to third after the pitcher threw Kristen Landon's grounder way for an error. Sydney Paulauskis-Lauher then singled to center to score Balkema. The Cougars then took the lead in the fourth as Sydney Sterrett bunted for a base hit to lead off. Marita Van Dyke's single put runners on the corners, and Kacey Powers grounded to short, the only play coming at first as Sterrett scored.

The Cougars pulled away with two-spots over the next two innings. Paulauskis-Lauher drove in her second and third runs of the game with a two-run single in the fifth, and Landon drove home a pair in the sixth with a single to right.

Kate Roberts went the distance to earn the win, improving to 4-4. She allowed just one run while scattering seven hits. 

Game two started the same as game one, with the Regents drawing first blood. This time, the Cougars answered in the second as Sterrett led off with a triple. One out later, Powers singled up the middle to tie the game, but CUC wasn't finished. An error and a base hit by Shania Phillips loaded the bases, and Balkema's sacrifice fly scored Powers for a 2-1 Cougars' lead.in the sixth. 

Rockford would tie the game at 2-2 on an unearned run, but Concordia-Chicago regained the lead  This run would go as unearned, with Nia DeGeorge getting on base via a walk. She moved to second on a Phillips' single and to third on a Landon sacrifice before scoring when the shortstop misplayed Van Dyke's ball for an error.

The Cougars scored an important insurance run in the seventh. Sydney Getz doubled, and pinch-runner Reilly McGuire would score with two out on DeGeorge's triple to right.

Holly Bathje evened her record at 5-5 on the season, pitching 6 2/3 innings in relief. The freshman allowed just the one unearned run on three hits while striking out a season-high nine batters.

The Cougars (19-12, 9-8 NACC) will play a non-conference opponent in two games tomorrow when they play at Carthage College in Kenosha, WI.