MILWAUKEE – Freshman Shannon Curtis struck out nine batters in game one to lead the MSOE softball team to a doubleheader split with Concordia Chicago Saturday afternoon at MSOE Athletic Field.

The Raiders (18-13, 7-9 NACC) and Cougars (9-19, 6-10 NACC) each posted 4-1 victories, with the Red and White winning the opener.

Curtis (6-7) pitched all 14 innings for MSOE, starting strong in the first game by scattering six hits and walking one to go with her nine strikeouts.

CUC did strike first with a single run in the opening frame, but Curtis allowed just one runner to reach third base over the final six frames.

Senior Alyssa Brueser tied the game with an RBI single in the second inning and the Raiders took the lead with a run in the third. Sophomore Katie Ready led off with a single, working her way around the bases courtesy of a couple of errors and a sacrifice bunt.

They added a pair of insurance runs in the fifth inning by capitalizing on lead-off singles from junior Mikala Wendt and Ready. The duo put pressure of the defense, scoring on an error and suicide squeeze bunt.

In game two, Concordia scored first again with a single run in the second inning and built a 2-0 lead after four innings. MSOE pulled a run back, as Ready singled in Brueser to cut that deficit to 2-1. Unfortunately, it was as close as the Red and White would get. The Cougars added runs in the sixth and seventh inning to close out the win.

Ready had a big day at the plate for the Raiders, going 5-for-6 with a walk. After grounding out in her first plate appearance of the day, she reached base in her final six plate appearances of the day with five hits and a walk.

MSOE returns to action Monday, playing a doubleheader at Lakeland.