Concordia-St. Paul (25-12) went 4-0 Sunday afternoon at Dunning Field to win the Concordia Tournament, which included three home runs by Nikki Smith and a Kristen Schmidt no-hitter. The Bears defeated South Dakota State 3-1, MSU Moorhead 4-1, and North Dakota 4-0 before thumping Winona State 9-2 in the title game.
Sophomore Mandy Turba improved to 3-0 while lowering her season ERA to 1.27 behind Smith's 2-3, two-homer, three-RBI performance as CU defeated the Jackrabbits 3-1. Turba hurled her second complete game, scattering five hits while striking out three and issuing just one walk.
In the second game, Allison Paitich won her fourth straight decision, improving to 8-7 on the season. Paitich threw her 11th complete game of the season as she scattered six Dragon singles, striking out five without walking anyone. The only run she allowed was unearned. Kelly Schwietz went 2-2 with a double, two RBIs, and a run scored as she sparked a four-run fourth inning for Concordia. Mallory Olson had the only other RBI for Concordia, while Jennifer Pozzani and Elizabeth Plante each smacked doubles.
Schmidt put the team on her back in game three as the Bears found themselves in a pitchers' duel with the Sioux. She was perfect through four innings, as no one touched first base. Only three UND hitters made contact asSschmidt struck out nine of her first 12 opponents. The offense backed Schmidt up in the fifth, as Shannon Miller pounded a two-run homer to center, her first of the year, breaking the scoreless tie. Kristin Linell led off the sixth inning with her fourth home run of the season, while Tracie Enzler followed with a double and came around to score on Vanessa Dufresne's RBI groundout to second base.
Schmidt finished off the Sioux, recording the no-hitter en route to improving her record to 13-5. Her only slip-up was a fifth-inning walk. She finished the game with 13 strikeouts in her fourth shutout of the season.
The three victories set up a championship game with Northern Sun rival Winona State. Dufresne started things off with a one-out bunt single in the first and scored on a play at the plate on Plante's RBI double. Plante advanced to third on the play, setting up an Amanda Yurek sacrifice fly, giving Concordia a 2-0 lead after one.
Plante wasn't finished, as she drilled a two-run homer in the third inning while Schmidt continued her shut down pitching as Concordia led 4-0 after three.
Smith jacked her third home run of the day the following inning, which was her team-leading sixth of the season and put Concordia ahead 5-0.
The Warriors finally scored a run in the bottom of the fourth inning off of Schmidt, but the Golden Bear offense retaliated with three runs in the top of the fifth, sparked by a Yurek RBI double and a two-run single by Smith.
The Warriors added another run in the bottom of the inning, but they still found themselves down 8-2 with just six outs remaining.
Plante added a RBI single in the sixth, driving in Miller, who pinch hit for Dufresne.
Schmidt finished off the Warriors to earn her 14th win of the season in her ninth complete game. Schmidt racked up 10 more strikeouts while walking just one Warrior.
Plante finished the game 3-4 with three runs, four RBIs, a double, and a home run, while Smith was 2-3 with a home run and three RBIs.
In the four-game series, the Bears pounded six home runs and nine doubles, while the pitching staff blew opponents away with 31 strikeouts.
They return to the diamond on Tuesday, Apr. 19, when they travel to St. Cloud State for a doubleheader. The Bears return home Thursday, Apr. 22 at home against Wayne State as they resume conference action.
