Box Score 1 | Box Score 2 The Dominican University softball team swept a doubleheader from their neighborhood rivals, the Concordia University Chicago Cougars, in Northern Athletics Collegiate Conference (NACC) play Wednesday afternoon.  Haley Locher (Lisle, Ill.) tossed the final two innings in game one to pick up her first save of the season before scattering three hits over five innings to pick up the win in game two.
 
The Stars, now 17-9 on the season and 8-2 in conference play, return to action on Saturday, traveling to Rockford to take on the Rockford University Regents in a twinbill.  First pitch is scheduled for 12:00 p.m.
 
Game One:  Dominican 4, Concordia Chicago 3
 
Trailing 2-0 in the bottom of the second, Catherine Conte (Elmwood Park, Ill.) sparked a four-run inning with a two-run double to the fence in center.  Kimberley Giannini (River Grove, Ill.) and Ashley Rea (Lockport, Ill.) followed with back-to-back RBI singles to give Dominique Schneider (Lockport, Ill.) all the support she needed in the circle.
 
The Cougars managed to push across two on Schneider in the top of the second, after a one-out walk put Jenni Jensen aboard for a two-run home run off the bat of Alicia Salata.
 
Working with a two-run lead, Schneider pitched out of a bases loaded jam with one out, getting Emilia Vowell to foul out to Sara Hausl (St. Charles, Ill.) before sitting Michelle Alexander down on strikes.
 
After cruising through the fifth, Schneider ran into trouble in the fifth, giving up a leadoff off double to Meghan Johnson who then scored on Allie Bochat's single to left.  Schneider was lifted for Locher after a walk to Jensen put runners at first and second with nobody out and the Stars clinging to a one-run lead.
 
After a single, a Cougars' base-running gaffe put runners at the corners with one out.  Locher then got Vowell looking at strike three before snagging Michelle Alexander's liner back to the circle to end the threat.
 
After the Stars went down in order in the bottom of the sixth, Locher nailed down the win for the Stars, pitching around a leadoff single.
 
Schneider picked up the win, throwing five-plus innings and giving up three runs on four hits and three walks while striking out five.
 
Offensively, the Stars managed just four hits but capitalized on two Concordia errors, scoring three unearned runs.
 
Game Two:  Dominican 6, Concordia Chicago 2
 
Locher tossed five scoreless innings, scattering three hits and a walk, before giving way to the Stars' bullpen with a six-run lead in the top of the sixth.
 
Schneider and Kaitlin Barajas (Dyer, Ind.) tallied RBI singles in the bottom of the first to put the Stars in front for good.  Dominican tacked on four more runs in the bottom of the fourth, capitalizing on three Cougar errors and a pair of walks.
 
With the win, Locher moves to 7-4 on the season, lowering her earned run average to 2.64.