orlando, fla. - it was a hitting spree for the golden bear softball team in a short-lived game in the sun against lake superior state on saturday. The squad knocked around 13 hits before ending the game in five innings with an 11-1 win. Eight extra base hits came off of cu bats, even pitcher-by-day stephanie schmikla got in on the action, stepping in for a pinch hitting appearance and knocking out a two-rbi double! the golden bears went 1-1 on their first day of rebel spring games, dropping a 5-1 decision to #13 saginaw valley state earlier in the day. They continue play in orlando all week long. svsu box score - lssu box score
the golden bears laid down hits in all five innings of play against lake superior state, the team's second game of the day. They got on the board in the second inning, using an rbi double from sami mattson to score the first run before anna bjorlin did some quick dirty work with a three-run homer sailing over the fence. Not to be outdone, mattson hit her own home run to lead off the fourth inning.
concordia's four-run second inning was good enough for the win, but even more momentous times were to come. The fourth inning, led off with mattson's power stroke, saw four straight batters with hits, including a triple and two doubles all in a row. The team that set a school record for doubles last season saw their first three-bagger of this season hit by sophomore third baseman calli brennan. Schmikla's double drove in the final two runs needed to end the game in five innings.
ashley kluever earned her first collegiate win in the 11-1 game that was shortened thanks to the mercy rule. In four innings of work, kluever struck out eight batters and did not allow an earned run. She walked four batters with no harm done, getting out of both two-walk innings.
while things ended on a high note, it was a shaky start to concordia's spring break week. The golden bears error-ridden in their first game of the rebel spring games. Facing nationally ranked (#13) saginaw valley state, concordia made four defensive errors that led to three unearned runs and a 5-1 loss saturday morning.
svsu kicked the game off with a first inning unearned run, to which the golden bears matched in the bottom of the inning in a 1-1 score. The first two cu batters, anna bjorlin and katie anderson, reached base on free passes in a rough inning of work for the saginaw valley pitcher. calli brennan drove a ball up the middle to score bjorlin from second and get the golden bears on the board. Unfortunately that hit was all the motivation that pitcher fulton needed to right her path, striking out the next five batters and allowing just three more concordia baserunners in the game.
the only rough inning that got the golden bears into trouble was in the third as svsu put up four runs, two earned, to take a 5-1 lead. A big two-rbi single up the middle came before the golden bears could get themselves out of the inning.
concordia's batters were frozen in the box, combining for nine strikeouts in the loss. Anderson singled and used tidy baserunning to get as far as third base in the sixth inning, but was unable to get a drive from her teammates to come across and score. The golden bears were limited to just three hits in the game.
saginaw valley state used eight hits and concordia's four errors to advance with the win.
stephanie schmikla worked five innings and gave up two earned runs and six hits. cassye mcmahon came in for two innings of work, giving up two hits and not allowing an earned run. Both pitchers struck out two batters. The teams' pitchers were matched, giving up three walks each in the game.
