MONTGOMERY, Ill. - The Concordia University Wisconsin softball team continued its red-hot run through the Northern Athletics Collegiate Conference (NACC) Tournament with a 3-2 win over Benedictine University on Saturday afternoon, securing a spot in the double-elimination championship game.
With the victory, the Falcons improved to 30-10, marking just the sixth 30-win season in program history. CUW has now won 13 of its last 14 contests.
Benedictine struck first, pushing across a run in the top of the first inning. But the Falcons wasted no time responding. Senior Jess Pozezinski (Lake Villa, Ill.) led off the bottom half of the inning by crushing a full-count pitch over the left field fence for a solo home run, tying the game 1-1.
CUW kept the pressure on as seniors Megan Bloyer (Oregon, Wis.) and Jasmine Freeze (Bolingbrook, Ill.), along with junior Rylie DuVal (Elgin, Ill.), each singled to load the bases. Sophomore Kaitlyn Way (Blaine, Minn.) followed with a sacrifice fly to center, bringing home senior KianaMarie Taccad (Chicago, Ill.), who had entered as a pinch runner.
The Falcons then executed a perfectly timed double steal. With Freeze on third and DuVal on first, DuVal intentionally got into a rundown between first and second, allowing Freeze to sprint home and extend CUW's lead to 3-1. DuVal ultimately evaded the tag and advanced to second safely.
In the second inning, Benedictine threatened with two runners on and two outs. A sharply hit ball to left field set up a potential tying play, but sophomore Jenna Lischka (Manitowoc, Wis.) fired a strike to DuVal at third, who quickly relayed the ball to Bloyer at the plate. Bloyer applied a textbook tag to cut down the runner and end the threat.
The Eagles trimmed the lead to 3-2 in the third on a wild pitch, then loaded the bases in the fifth with one out. Once again, CUW's defense stepped up. Junior Nora Statz (Helenville, Wis.) caught a fly ball in right, and the Eagles tried to score on the tag. Statz hit the cutoff in sophomore Emma Shellstrom (San Diego, Calif.), who delivered a perfect throw home, where Bloyer applied her second key tag of the day to preserve the lead.
Shellstrom stayed sharp the rest of the way, tossing four scoreless innings of relief while allowing just four hits. With the effort, she improved to 14-4 on the season. Freeze got the start, pitching three innings while facing 15 batters.
Offensively, Pozezinski and Way delivered the RBIs for CUW, while five different Falcons recorded a hit. The defense was spotless, as CUW played error-free behind its pitchers.
With the win, CUW advances to Sunday's NACC Tournament championship without a loss. The Falcons will face the winner of the Dominican versus Benedictine elimination game and need just one win to claim the tournament title. Their opponent, however, will need to beat CUW twice.
First pitch is scheduled for noon on Mother's Day, Sunday, May 11, with the if-necessary game set to begin approximately 30 minutes after.
CUW will look to capture its fourth NACC Tournament title, aiming to join the 2009, 2022, and 2023 squads in program history.
