River Forest, Ill. — The Concordia University Chicago softball team hosted their home opener on Sunday, sweeping the Warriors of Wisconsin Lutheran College in a doubleheader. The Cougars won game one 3-0 and rallied late for a 6-4 victory in game two. The wins give them their first 4-0 start in conference play since 2018.
Game One
Senior Holly Bathje (Davis Junction, Ill.) was stellar for the Cougars in the circle in game one. She held the Warrior bats scoreless on her way to her team-high fifth complete game of the season.
Not much offense was generated by WLC throughout the game, as Bathje allowed just five hits. They had a runner in scoring position on only one occasion following a sacrifice bunt in the 5th, but the threat was quickly ended after Bathje got the ensuing batter to ground out.
After four scoreless innings at the plate, the Cougars finally broke through in the fifth. Sophomore Gina Westphal (Elmhurst, Ill.) led off the inning with a pinch hit single and put herself in scoring position by swiping second. She advanced to third on a single by junior Hailey Howard (Machesney Park, Ill.), and both runners scored two batters later on a two-out, two-run single from senior Nia DeGeorge (Omaha, Neb.).
The Cougars added an insurance run in the sixth, once again starting the inning off with a pinch hit, this time a double from sophomore Annabella Archuletta (Pueblo, Colo.). The run eventually came around to score on a single from senior Sydney Sterrett (Lafayette, Ind.).
Bathje worked around a one-out single in the seventh as the Cougars held on for a 3-0 victory.
Game Two
The Cougars got the scoring going early in the second game of the afternoon, as Howard delivered her second hit in as many innings to drive in a pair in the second.
CUC began each of its first three innings at the plate with a hit, including a solo shot from junior Becky Pieroni (Montgomery, Ill.) to lead off the third. This was a big answer from the Cougars after they had allowed the Warriors to jump to a 4-2 lead in the top half of the inning. It was the beginning of a big day at the plate for the All-American.
She sparked a rally in the sixth with her team still trailing by a run with a one-out single. She then made two excellent reads on pitchers in the dirt and swiped second and third in a single at bat.
Once again looking to come through in the pinch hitter role, Archuletta smacked a double to left center that brought home the tying run.
Senior Kate Roberts (Pontiac, Ill.) got things going in the sixth with a single to the left side of the infield. Two walks eventually loaded the bases and brought Pieroni to the plate in the biggest moment of the day.
With two outs, the score tied and the bases loaded, Pieroni drilled a double to left field to plate a pair and give the Cougars a 6-4 lead. It was the exclamation point on a fantastic game two for the junior. Her four hits were a team-high to go along with three RBIs.
Roberts, who came on in relief in the fourth, worked a 1-2-3 seventh to secure the second win of the day for the Cougars. She improves to 2-0 on the season with her win.
The team will be back in action this Thursday when they travel to Marian University to take on the Sabres. First pitch of the doubleheader is scheduled for 3 p.m., and coverage will be available on cucougars.com/coverage.
