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Softball

Top seeded Spartans win NACC Tournament opener 5-3

Box Score The Aurora University softball team opened the 2014 Northern Athletics Collegiate Conference Tournament with a 5-3 win over the Falcons of Concordia University Wisconsin at Alverno Field in Milwaukee, Wis.

NACC Pitcher of the Year Vanessa Hartzell was in the circle for the Spartans and had to work out of a bases loaded jam in the first inning and did so without allowing a run. Concordia did score a run in the second inning though with two hits and a walk before Hartzell added to her NACC leading strikeout total with two straight to end the inning.

Trailing by one in the bottom of the third Lauren Huebner was hit by a pitch with one out and Rebecca Randall reached on an error to bring up the top of the AU batting order. Mandey Shrader singled to load the bases and Huebner scored to tie the game when Laura Dierking grounded out. With two outs, senior Sarah Clauser reached on an infield single that allowed Randall to cross the plate and AU had a 2-1 lead.

In the top of the fourth Concordia scored an unearned run on Hartzell after a two out error extended the inning to tie the game at 2-2.

AU answered back to take the lead back for good in the bottom of the inning. Logan Cahill singled to lead off the inning and after she advanced to second on a Taylor Moore sacrifice bunt, Cahill scored on a Vanessa Wegner double.

While Hartzell kept the Falcons quiet offensively, the AU bats went back to work in the bottom of the fifth. With one out, Dierking doubled and came around when Clauser hit a two-run home run to deep left and a 5-2 Spartan lead.

Concordia manufactured one run in the top of the sixth inning but Hartzell limited the damage and set the Falcons down in order in the seventh to seal the 5-3 win.

Hartzell struck out nine while allowing three runs, two being earned and seven hits for the win.

The Spartans are now 26-13 overall and next action for the Spartan softball team comes on Friday, May 2 when they play #3 Benedictine University in the NACC Tournament. Game time is set for 3:00 p.m. at Alverno College in Milwaukee, Wis.
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