Box Score 1 | Box Score 2 MEQUON, Wis. – The Dominican University Stars held an early lead in game one of today’s doubleheader against Concordia Wisconsin, but suffered the loss after the Falcons (22-14, 17-5 NAC) scored in the eighth inning on a bases-loaded hit by pitch. The Stars were then shut out in the nightcap, 8-0 in five innings, to leave them 19-19 overall and 12-10 in Northern Athletics Conference play. With their final regular season doubleheader tomorrow, the Stars still have hope to make their fourth straight trip to the NAC tournament.

The Stars would hold a 4-3 lead through five innings in game one, with all four runs scored in the top of the second inning.

Allie Evans (Greenwood, Ind.) started things off with a single up the middle before advancing to second on a wild pitch. A sacrifice bunt by Tayler Miller (Elkhart, Ind./Memorial) would then send Evans to third before Amy Paolini (Lemont, Ill.) and Sarah Budz (Orland Park, Ill./Providence Catholic) would draw back-to-back walks and load the bases for Corinne Wimmer (Elgin, Ill./Larkin).

With her first of two hits in the game, Wimmer plated Evans for the Stars’ first run, while Melissa Summaria (Algonquin, Ill./Dundee Crown) stepped in next to deliver a big three-RBI double to center field.

But the Falcons would tie things up in the sixth inning, and the game would need another frame after neither team scored in the seventh.

In the extra frame, the Stars went three up, three down in the top half of the inning before giving up three consecutive hits to load the bases with just one out on the board in the bottom of the inning. The Falcons would then walk off with the 5-4 win after Chelsie Strosina was hit by pitch to bring in the game’s final score.

Emily Mahoney (Crystal Lake, Ill./South) suffered the loss in the circle, striking out eight batters and walking three. Evans and Summaria led the Stars offensively, going 3-4 and 2-4, respectively, while Summaria plated three of the Stars’ four runs.

In game two, Budz would go 3-3 at the dish - with one double - to lead the Stars, but they were unable to bring any across the plate while the Falcons scored two in each of the second and third innings, and finished off the run-rule victory with four runs in the fifth.

Jori Cicale (Steger, Ill./Marian Catholic) took the loss for the Stars, and the offense would only muster five hits in the game.

Dominican now needs to win both games in tomorrow’s doubleheader against Alverno College to guarantee a spot in the 2012 Northern Athletics Conference Softball Tournament. If they were to split, their fate would be determined by Concordia Chicago’s four remaining games; and if the Stars are swept tomorrow, both the Inferno and the Cougars have a chance at taking the tournament’s last spot over the Stars.

Dominican and Alverno have split in each of the last two seasons, and they will face off tomorrow at 12 p.m. in Dominican’s StrikeOut Cancer game at the Park District of Forest Park.