EMPORIA, Kan. - After playing the first seven innings scoreless, Concordia junior Kristin Linell led off the top of the eighth inning with a home run over the center field fence to give the 17th-ranked Golden Bears (43-13) a 1-0 lead. They added three more runs on three hits and two walks in the inning to earn a 4-0 win over top-seed No. 8-ranked Emporia State (53-12) in the semifinals of the 2005 NCAA North Central Region Tournament.

The Golden Bears will play in the championship game on Sunday at 12:30 p.m. against the winner of Emporia State/Winona State with a chance to advance to the NCAA Division II Softball World Series, May 19-22, in Salem, Virginia. There will be a second championship game at 3 p.m. if necessary in the double-elimination tournament.

It was a pitcher's duel through seven innings as both CSP's Kristen Schmidt and Emporia's Melissa Stevens each had nine strikeouts and allowed four hits through seven scoreless innings. The Golden Bears knocked Stevens out of the game in the eighth inning with four hits. After Linnel's home run, Tracie Enzler singled up the middle and advanced to second on a sacrifice by Jennifer Pozzani. With one out, Shannon Miller had a single in front of the right fielder, advancing Enzler to third. Elizabeth Plante hit a shot to the shortstop, who made a play at home, but Enzler was called safe under the catcher's tag. Amanda Yurek grounded out to third base, advancing Miller and Plante to second and third. With two outs, Schmidt hit a bloop single just in front of the center fielder to score Miller and Plante to give the bears a 4-0 lead.

Schmidt and the Bears defense got the final three outs to secure the win. Schmidt ended the game with ten strikeouts and allowed five hits as she improved to 26-6 on the season in her tenth shutout. Miller and Enzler each had two hits for the Bears, who ended the game with eight hits.

With the win Concordia sets a new school record with 43 wins and Schmidt earns her school-record 26th win of the season.