ROCHESTER, Minn. - The Golden Bears (30-21) dropped their first game in their NSIC Tournament losing 8-0 to #17 Augustana. Concordia stayed alive as they won 5-4 via a walk off sac fly from Alicia Meiser (Circle Pines, Minn.) over Wayne State. Concordia lost 14-6 in the night cap, as they were eliminated and finished fourth in the NSIC Tournament.
GAME 1 BOX | GAME 2 BOX | GAME 3 BOX
VS AUGUSTANA
Augustana took the early lead as they rallied with two outs and got their ninth home run in two games to put them up 2-0 after one.
The Golden Bears tried to come back in the top of the second as Erin Tjornhom (Eagan, Minn.) reached on an error and Missie Feuerbach (Iowa City, Iowa) reached on soft ground ball to third. Tjornhom advanced to third on the play after stealing her 21st bag of the year a few pitches earlier. Concordia however was unable to score as they left runners on second and third.
Kluever put Augustana down in order in the second and then CU threatened again in the third. After a strikeout Katie Anderson (Mendota Heights, Minn.) reached on single and stole second before Alicia Meiser (Circle Pines, Minn.) drew a walk. Brennan advanced the runners after an 11 pitch battle saw her ground out to second. Tjornhom then walked to load the bases up but Feuerbach popped up to the pitcher ending the inning.
The Vikings loaded the bases in the third but Kluever got ground ball to Bekah Roth (Shoreview, Minn.) to end the inning. Brynn Larsen (Oconto Falls, Wis.) led off with a single in the fourth but she was quickly retired on a double play. Cassie Bertelsen tried to restart the rally as she singled to left, but the inning ended as Abby Foster (Waverly, Iowa) flied out to right. Augustana added an insurance run in fourth and then ended the game in the fifth with a walk off grand slam.
VS WAYNE STATE
The Wildcats got on the board first scoring an unearned run as a dropped pop up cost CU. Kluever left after the play and Stephanie Kappes (Circle Pines, Minn.) entered. She gave up a home run to make it 2-0 in favor of Wayne State. The Golden found a way to answer in the bottom of the first Tjornhom singled and scored Meiser from second brining CU within one.
Kappes found herself in a little jam in the second inning but was able to pitch out of it keeping WSC off the board. In CU's half of the second inning they failed to get a runner on and went down in order. Wayne State didn't do much better in the top of third picking up a one out walk but nothing else. Concordia third inning looked similar as Meiser reached with one out, she did get to third with two down but Tjornhom failed to drive her in.
Wayne State loaded the bases in the fourth picking up back to back singles to lead off the inning. After a sac bunt advancing runners to second and third another singled followed to load the bases with one out. Kappes got out of it getting a pair of fielder's choice ground balls to short stop. The first one saw Larsen throw home to get the second out and then she flipped over a ground ball to Roth at second for the third out of the inning.
Concordia got three straight singles to start the inning from M. Feuerbach, Larsen and Roth. Cassie Bertlesen (Oakdale, Minn.) grounded in to a fielder's choice as M. Feuerbach was out at home. Katie Feuerbach (Iowa City, Iowa) hit a ground ball softly to second, Sandel threw home but the ball was dropped by the WSC catcher allowing Larsen and Roth as CU took the 4-3 lead after four.
Kappes put Wayne State down in order in the top of the fifth inning as Concordia held a 3-2 lead. Brennan led off with a single to center and then after a pop out from Tjornhom, M. Feuerbach drew a walk to put runners on first and second. With two out Roth singled to right allowing Brennan to score and gave CU a 4-2 lead.
Kappes was able to do it again the sixth inning as well as CU took a 4-2 lead into in the seventh inning after they failed to score in their half of the sixth inning.
The Wildcats got a leadoff single to third and then a double from Sandel as the ball hit off the top of the fence and came back into play. After a foul pop out, Williams singled driving in a pair of runs and tying the game. The Wildcats left two more on base as the game wen to the bottom of the seventh tied at four. The Golden Bears went down in order in their half of the seventh.
In the extra frame WSC got a leadoff double and then a single to place runners on first and third with no outs. Kappes got a big strike out and then a ground out to second as she tried to escape the jam. She then hit a batter before getting a hard line out to first base. Roth drew a walk to start the eighth inning and then Bertelsen was hit by a pitch as CU started to threaten. Katie Feuerbach tried to sac bunt the runners but ended up reaching as WSC couldn't make a play. With the bases loaded and no body out Anderson reached on a fielder's choice as Megan Revoir (Hammond, Wis.) was out at home. Meiser came through with a sac fly scoring pitch runner Jade Ptacek (Sioux Falls, S. D.) from third.
VS WINONA STATE
Tjornhom put Concordia out in front early with a two run home run to fight field. Winona State came right back at CU much like the first game between the two team. The Warriors scored three times as took the 3-2 lead after one inning of play.
Larsen singled to leadoff the second inning but then a fielder's choice and 6-4-3 double play ended the inning without much of a threat to score for CU. Winona State got to Kappes in the second chasing her after adding five more runs before Anna Reincke (Mt. Clemens, Mich.) came in and got a pair of ground outs to end the inning. Winona State led 8-2 after two complete.
Concordia was able to rally in the top of the third inning. With one out Anderson and Meiser singled to start the rally, Brennan then had a RBI ground out to second before Tjornhom double scoring Meiser. Tjornhom then scored herself as M. Feuerbach singled her home making it 8-5. WSU went down in order in the bottom of third.
Winona State put CU down in the fourth inning and then their bats came alive again in the bottom of the fourth adding four more runs and taking the 12-5 lead.
Tjornhom added her second home run of the game putting one just over the fence in center drawing CU within six at 12-6. Reincke kept WSU off the board pitching around a walk and a single. CU threatened in the top of the sixth inning but could not get any close as they trailed 12-6 headed to the bottom of the inning.
The game ended in the bottom of the sixth on a two run homer that hit the top of the fence and bounced over to end the game with the score 14-6.
Concordia finished fourth in the NSIC Tournament and will now await word on their post season life Sunday as the NCAA Tournament field is announced.
