Cougars Drop Both at Concordia; Still Alive for WHAC Tournament

(Ann Arbor, MI)-- The Cleary Cougar softball team wrapped up their WHAC schedule Sunday afternoon with a pair of games against the Concordia Cardinals.

In Game 1: The Cardinals jumped out to an early lead with three runs scored in the bottom of the first inning.  They would add two more runs in the bottom of the third before Cleary's defense settled in.  Cleary's bats would take a while to wake up, and in the sixth, the Cougars would get on the board.  Mia Rzepka led off the inning with a walk, followed by a Kate Currie single.  Jenna Wagenschutz would reach on a throwing error after laying a sacrifice bunt, and the error allowed the Cougars to cut into the lead, and made the score 5-1.  Unfortunately for the Cougars, the Cardinals would get out of the jam with three straight outs, going on to win 5-1.

Halle Dargie would suffer the loss, allowing 5 runs on 6 hits in 3 innings.  Haley Ludwig threw 3 innings of no-hit softball, as she struck out 2 in 3 innings pitched.  Six different Cougars earned a hit in the game.

In Game 2:  Cleary would strike first with a pair of runs in the top of the second inning.  Jessica Garmen and Maddie Bunkoske each drew walks to lead off the inning, and Grace Pasterik would get on base to load the bases with two outs.  Mckenzie Latshaw and Mia Rzepka were each hit by pitches, and two runs would score to give the Cougars the early lead.  Concordia would score in the second and then again in the third to tie the game, but Cleary would take the lead in the fourth.  After loading the bases, Miz Rzepka was hit by another pitch to score Maggie Koroleski.  Still leading 3-2, Concordia would take the lead on a two-run home run in the bottom of the siixth inning.  Down to their final out in the top of the seventh, Jessica Garmen hit her team leading ninth home run of the season, a solo shot, to extend the game.  In the bottom of the seventh, the Cardinals would answer with a home run of their own, and won via walk-off.

Caitlynn Duffey would suffer the loss, allowing 5 runs on 9 hits.  Jessica Garmen went 2/3 with 2 runs, while Maddie Bunkoske and Maggie Koroleski each added a hit apiece for the Cougars.

Cleary is now 13-25, and finishes the WHAC season 8-14.  Cleary will have to play the waiting game to find out if they will play postseason softball, as they currently sit in eighth place.  Siena Heights still has six WHAC games to make up, and hold a 5-11 conference record.  If the Saints go 3-3 in those makeup games, they would force a tiebreaker, and 2-4 or worse would clinch a WHAC tournament berth for the Cougars.  Cleary is scheduled to conclude their regular season next Friday, April 26, with a trip to Chicagoland to take on the Calumet College Crimson Wave in a non-conference doubleheader.