RIVER FOREST, Ill. – Alverno held an early 7-0 lead in the opening game of a doubleheader but were unable to hang onto the advantage, falling in the first game, 8-7 before dropping the second game by a 23-2 margin.
 
Alyssa Hubli had four hits against the Cougars including a double in the opener and the first home run of her career in the second game. Samantha Vinti had a two-run double in the first game and walked later in the day.
 
Dominique Tetrault had two RBIs on the day with Katherine Peabody reaching base three times with a single and a pair of walks. Giselle Moreno and Hailie Eschbach each had two hits on the day with Emily Anguiano recording an RBI in each game.
 
In the circle, Bailey Gardner put together a gutsy performance totaling 9 1/3 innings with one strikeout over the doubleheader. Moreno also made her collegiate pitching debut but was unable to record an out in the nightcap.
 
It was an electric first inning for the Inferno to open the afternoon on Sunday, Alexis Wheeler had an infield single followed by a base hit by Hubli to put two runners on. Moreno reached on a fielder's choice before Tetrault plated the first run with a bases-loaded walk.
 
Vinti connected on a double into the left centerfield gap to score two more runs before Anguino reached on a fielder's choice as Tetrault scored. After a pitching change, Eschbach drove in a pair with a single into right to make the score 6-0.
 
Gardner breezed through the first six Cougars but ran into trouble in the third as Concordia Chicago answered back with six runs. CUC got a run closer in the fourth and eventually took the lead in a two-run bottom of the sixth.
 
In game two, Concordia Chicago picked up where they left off in the opener and scored five in the first, 10 in the second and six in the third before Alverno scored two in the top of the fourth.
 
Hubli homered to lead off the fourth before Anguiano had a sacrifice fly later in the inning for the second run of the game.
 
The Cougars scored two more to regain the advantage and swept the doubleheader.
 
Alverno will be back in action at home on Wednesday with a make-up doubleheader against the MSOE Raiders. The doubleheader will begin at 3:00 p.m. on the Alverno Softball Field.