AURORA, Ill. — On Wednesday, the Concordia University Chicago (CUC) softball team (5-15, 1-7) took the trip west to face off with the Spartans of Aurora University (16-5, 5-3) in some Northern Athletic Collegiate Conference (NACC) action. After the Spartans walked off a close game one, they cruised to a run-rule game two victory to sweep Concordia. 

 

GAME ONE: Aurora - 1, Concordia Chicago - 0

 

-Inside The Box Score

• Ashley Shroll (Tampa, Fla.) threw four scoreless innings in the start, allowing four hits. 

• Megan Bouska (Plainfield, Ill.) also pitched well in relief, allowing just one run and two hits in 2.1 innings of work.

• Four Cougars registered hits: Arissa Santos (Moreno Valley, Calif.), Annabella Archuletta (Pueblo, Colo.), Alyssa Kontopoulos (Elmhurst, Ill.), and Olivia Stroker (St. Louis, Mo.). 

 

-How It Happened

The first hits of the game did not come until the second inning, when the Cougars snagged one in the top of the inning courtesy of Archuletta, and then Aurora compiled three in the bottom of the second. But no runs came from any of these hits. 

 

Aurora got another hit in the bottom of the third, yet still could not put up the first run of the day. Santos singled with two outs in the top of fourth, but that was shortly followed by the third out of the inning to ruin any chance of offense. 

 

After CUC left two runners on base in the top of fifth, Bouska entered the circle to face Aurora in the bottom of the inning, where she quickly retired all three batters in order.

 

Following a scoreless sixth, Concordia went one-two-three in the top of the seventh, leaving the door open for a Spartan walk-off. A leadoff double was soon moved to third on a bunt. Aurora ended the game with another bunt, securing their 1-0 victory. 

 

GAME TWO: Aurora - 10, Concordia Chicago - 0 (5 INNINGS)

 

-Inside The Box Score

• Genesis Quijada (South Bend, Ind.) got the only hit for CUC in the game, which was also her first career hit. 

• Santos and Haley Gulsby (Englewood, Fla.) reached base via walks. 

 

-How It Happened

The Spartans struck early in the first inning thanks to an RBI triple. That runner on third then scored on a sacrifice fly to center field, making it 2-0 in favor of Aurora. 

 

After a one-two-three top of the second for CUC, the Spartans added another two in the bottom half. With two runners in scoring position, an RBI-single made it 4-0. CUC made a pitching change here, exchanging starter Eden Pufahl (Laguna Hills, Calif.) for Kallie Tierney (Corona, Calif.), who was able to conclude the inning without any further damage. 

 

No Cougar reached base in the top of the third, and Aurora tagged on one more run the next half-inning. But the bottom of the fourth is where the Spartans opened the floodgates. The first two batters reached base, and the lead-runner soon scored off a double. A foul-out to left field scored run number seven for the Spartans. Then, with the bags filled, a triple cleared them and made it 10-0. 

 

Down to their final three outs in the top of the fifth and at risk of being run-ruled, Aurora made quick work of CUC's first two batters. Quijada kept the comeback chance alive with a two-out single, but one final strikeout ended the game, with the scoreboard reading 10-0. 

 

-Up Next

NACC play continues this Saturday, April 13, when the Cougars take a trip north to face Marian University in a doubleheader. Games are set for 12 p.m. and 2 p.m. Coverage for the doubleheader can be found at our website, cucougars.com.