March 27, 2008

Box Score

River Forest, IL - The Dominican University softball team opened the 2008 home season on Wednesday afternoon at the team's new home facility in Forest Park, Ill. but drop both ends of a doubleheader to Concordia University (WI) to fall to 0-2 in the Northern Athletics Conference (NAC) and 2-8 overall.

The Stars fell behind 11-1 in the first three innings of game one before surrendering a 12-run fifth inning in which the Concordia Falcons brought 16 batters to the plate, logging six hits in the inning with six base on balls. Dominican did rally for four runs in the bottom of the fifth, with sophomore Lea Marzolo (Fairview, MI) and freshman Abbey Bullerdick (New Market, IN) logging RBI singles in the inning. However, the game ended after the fifth with the Falcons ahead 23-5.

The Stars regrouped in game two, taking a two-run lead into the fifth inning thanks to two-out rallies in both the second and third inning that plated a run a piece. In the top of the second, freshman Leanne Faulkner (Granite City, IL) doubled to right center ahead of a single by Sam Skubal (Westchester, IL) that gave the Stars a 1-0 lead. The Stars Sarah Minaglia (Chicago, IL) doubled off the left field wall to score Marzolo and give Dominican a 2-0 advantage.

However, Concordia rallied for four runs on three hits combined with two errors by the Stars in the bottom of the fifth to take a 4-2 lead. Dominican could only manage a walk by Faulkner in the top of the sixth and went down in order in the seventh to drop game two.

The Stars will play a pair of doubleheaders this weekend, looking to get back in the win column on Saturday as they travel down Division Street to Concordia Chicago for a 12:00 p.m. doubleheader. The Stars will then return to Forest Park on Sunday as they host Mount Mary College for a pair of games starting at 12:00 p.m.