MONTGOMERY, Ill. – The Falcons showed grit and resilience throughout the Northern Athletics Collegiate Conference (NACC) Softball Tournament, battling into extra innings in all three contests. Concordia Wisconsin advanced to the consolation finals with a 3-2 victory over Lakeland before falling in a tight 4-3 decision to top-seeded Dominican.
The Falcons struck first in the opening inning against Lakeland, as senior Rylie DuVal (Elgin, Ill.) delivered a sacrifice fly to plate junior Jenna Shadoski (Janesville, Wis.).
In the second inning, senior Nora Statz (Helenville, Wis.) came through with a clutch single to center field with the bases loaded, scoring senior Julia Moker (Richfield, Wis.) to extend the lead.
Lakeland threatened in the fourth inning, but the Falcons came up with a key defensive play as Shadoski fired a strike to junior Kendall Lemke (Helenville, Wis.) at the plate to cut down the runner.
The Muskies evened the score in the fifth with a double into the right-field corner, setting the stage for late-game drama.
The Falcons made history in the ninth inning when DuVal delivered the game-winning single to right field, scoring Shadoski from second. With the run, Shadoski set a new program record for runs in a single season with 56.
Concordia Wisconsin was aggressive on the basepaths on the Saturday fishing trip, stealing three bases in the game, including two from Shadoski and one from Statz. Statz, DuVal, and Moker each recorded two hits to pace the offense.
The CUW pitching staff gutted the fish in game one with freshman Faith Keiper (Tomball, Texas) struck out four in the start, while junior Emma Shellstrom (San Diego, Calif.) earned the win in relief with three strikeouts.
In game two against Dominican, the Falcons again struck early. Sophomore Anya Weiler (Wilson, Wis.) singled up the middle in the first inning, allowing DuVal to score with the bases loaded.
Dominican responded quickly, tying the game in the bottom of the first before taking a 3-1 lead with two runs in the second inning.
The Falcons continued to battle and forced extra innings with a clutch seventh-inning play. Senior Maggie Plahmer (Slinger, Wis.) put pressure on the defense with a sharply hit ball to shortstop that allowed the tying run to score.
Dominican loaded the bases in the eighth inning and delivered a two-out single to right field to secure the win and advance to the finals.
Freshman Hope Hughes (Joliet, Ill.) led the offense in game two with a perfect 3-for-3 performance, including a triple.
Shellstrom struck out three over four innings in the start, while junior Kylie Strupp (Slinger, Wis.) added two strikeouts in a strong relief effort.
The Falcons conclude the season with a 28-15 record.
Concordia Wisconsin extends its gratitude to a truly outstanding senior class in Julia Moker, Maggie Plahmer, Jenna Lischka, Kaitlyn Way, Nora Statz, and Rylie DuVal. Their leadership, consistency, and competitive spirit have helped shape one of the most successful stretches in program history. The group departs with 125 career victories, two NACC regular season titles, two NACC Tournament championships, and one NCAA Regional title—leaving a lasting legacy that will continue to set the standard for future Falcons.
