KISSIMMEE, FL. — Coming off a dominant win in yesterday's season opener, Concordia University Chicago (CUC) softball (2-1, 0-0) took on Geneva College (Pa.) (0-1, 0-0) and Heidelberg University (2-2, 0-0) in a doubleheader today. The Cougars came from behind in both games, but while they were able to pull ahead for the win against Geneva, they lost in extra innings to Heidelberg.
GAME ONE: CUC - 8, Geneva - 6
-Inside the Box Score
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Freshman McKyler Morris (Belvidere, Ill.) cranked out three RBIs in just her second collegiate game.
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Jessica Geng (Phoenix, Ariz.) collected a pair of RBIs as well.
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Megan Bouska (Plainfield, Ill.) made her collegiate pitching debut today, throwing three four scoreless innings to earn the win.
-How It Happened
Geneva immediately got on the board with a leadoff homerun to start the game. They then added two more runs by the time the first inning was over to take a 3-0 lead.
After a scoreless second inning from both sides, Geneva added another three runs in the top of the third off a foul out, stolen base, and error.
Concordia managed to scratch one across the board in the bottom half of the inning. With a runner on third, Emily Garcia (Eastvale, Calif.) flew out to score the runner and bring CUC back within five.
Bouska came into the game in the top of the fourth and shut Geneva down, leading the way for CUC to grab two more runs in the bottom of the inning. Morris singled to score the first run, and then Geng later hit into a fielder's choice, allowing Morris to score and make it a 6-3 ballgame.
That is where the score stood once the bottom of the fifth hit. With Olivia Stroker (St. Louis, Mo.) on third, Haley Gulsby (Englewood, Fla.) drew a walk on a wild pitch that allowed Stroker to cross home.
After Melisa Hadzic (Westchester, Ill.) reached base too, Morris doubled to score both Gulsby and Hadzic and knot the game up, 6-6. Arissa Santos (Moreno Valley, Calif.) singled, moving Morris to third, and then Geng flew out to score Morris and give the Cougars a 7-6 lead.
Geneva looked lost against Bouska in the top of the sixth for a one-two-three inning. In the bottom of the inning, Hadzic added an insurance run off an RBI-single. Now with an 8-6 lead, Bouska stranded two runners in the top of the seventh to secure the 8-6, comeback win.
GAME TWO: Heidelberg - 4, CUC - 3 (8 INNINGS)
-Inside the Box Score
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Garcia, Stroker, and Alyssa Kontopoulos (Elmhurst, Ill.) all grabbed RBIs.
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Garcia and Hadzic both had multi-hit games.
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Despite earning the loss, Ashley Shroll (Tampa, Fla.) pitched in all eight innings, allowing three earned runs and striking out six batters.
-How It Happened
Heidelberg got on the board in their first inning of work off an RBI-single. Shroll was able to hold the damage to just the one run in the first.
After a pitcher's duel in the second and third innings, Heidelberg was back at it in the fourth, scoring their second run of the day off a sacrifice fly. They got another run the following inning thanks to a solo homer.
Now in a 3-0 hole, Concordia's offense woke up in the bottom of the sixth. With the bags loaded, Kontopoulos walked after a prolonged at bat to drive a run in.
Stroker kept the line moving with an RBI single to bring her squad within one of Heidelberg, and then Garcia took a pitch off her leg to reach first and push the tying run across home.
Unfortunately, that would be the last run of the day for CUC. Seven innings were not enough to settle the difference, so the two squads headed to extra innings. In the bottom of the eighth, Heidelberg walked it off courtesy of a sacrifice fly, claiming the 4-3 win.
-Up Next
Softball gets tomorrow off before resuming play on Wednesday, March 6. They face Simmons University at 10:15 a.m. EST and then Carlow University (Pa.) at 12:30 p.m. EST. Coverage for both matches can be found at
cucougars.com.
