The Aurora University softball team controlled their own destiny on Saturday morning as they prepared for the 2015 Northern Athletics Collegiate Conference Tournament Championship. AU was the last unbeaten team remaining and after the elimination game was completed, AU took on the Concordia University Wiconsin Falcons.

AU scored runs in each of the first four innings, 11 to be exact, to enact the mercy rule in the Championship game. The high powered Spartan offense found themselves down 1-0 when Concordia pushed a run across in the top of the first with a home run off AU starter Vanessa Hartzell.

Three hits in the first from Mandey Shrader, Logan Cahill and Amie Raynor as well as a Falcon error helped the Spartan score three runs for a 3-1 lead. Shrader then hit a solo home run in the second inning to push the lead to 4-1. Concordia cut the AU lead in half with a run in the third but as they had done previously, the Spartan offense went back to work.

AU loaded the bases to start the bottom of the third and went on to manufacture four runs on two hits and one costly Falcon error. Then in the fourth inning, the Spartans continued their hot hitting. Five singles to start the inning produced three runs and an 11-2 lead for Hartzell going into the fifth. With a cushion, Hartzell allowed one hit but did not allow anything more and when she struck out the final Falcon in the inning, the Spartans were 2015 NACC regular season and tournament champions. In 25 contests against NACC foes, the Spartans ar a perfect 25-0.

Offensively, AU as led by Shrader (two for three with a home run, run batted in and run scored), Cahill (two for three with two runs scored), Larkin Langston (one for two with three runs scored and one run batted in), Steph Starr (two for three with three rus scored), Raynor (two for two with three runs batted in and one run scored), Vanessa Wegner (one for three with two runs batted in), Taylor Moore (one for three with one run batted in and one run scored), Megan Nerger (one run batted in) and Lauren Huebner (one run batted in).

Hartzell earned her 18th win of the season with five innings, allowing two runs, six hits and striking out seven. With the win, AU is now 35-6 overall.
 Next action for the Spartan softball team comes in the 2015 NCAA Division III Softball Championships. AU will learn the location and time of the regional on Monday, May 4 at 9:00 a.m. when the NCAA announces the Division III softball field.