WINTER HAVEN, Fla. - The Concordia University softball team (3-11) concluded action in the Rebel Spring Games by dropping a doubleheader to #18 Caldwell (N.J.) (5-1) on Sunday morning. The Cougars took game one 2-0 and game two 7-3.

The Golden Bears fell to 2-6 on the trip and 0-4 against ranked opponents this year.

GAME ONE: #18 Caldwell (N.J.) 2, Concordia 0
The first game featured a pitcher's duel between Concordia's Linzy Heim and Caldwell's Amber Padilla as the two matched zeroes for much of the game.
 
The Golden Bears nearly got on the board to start the game as Alicia Meiser led off with a triple in the first. She was retired at the plate two batters later as she was caught between third and home on a ground ball to short.
 
After Caldwell manufactured a run in the first, Heim scattered four hits over the next four innings and didn't allow a runner to advance past second base until an RBI triple brought home the Cougars' second run in the sixth.
 
Concordia threatened in the sixth as well, but left runners on first and second to end the inning.
 
Heim (2-3), a freshman for CU, was solid in the complete game loss as she allowed only two runs on seven hits while walking only one.
 
Padilla finished with the shutout for Caldwell while allowing four hits and striking out six.
 
Jamie Fleischhacker, Bekah Roth and Cassie Bertelsen had the other three Golden Bear hits to go along with Meiser's triple.
 
GAME TWO: #18 Caldwell (N.J.) 7, Concordia 3

The second game continued where the first game left off as both teams were unable to score through the first three innings.
 
The Cougars broke the tie with a big four-run fourth, capped off by a two-run double for Kristen Knorr.
 
CU got two runs back in the bottom of the inning as Roth brought in a run on a fielder's choice and Bertelsen brought another in on a sacrifice fly. Liz Jarosz and Elena Koncar also picked up the Golden Bears' only two hits for the game in the inning.
 
Caldwell came right back and broke the game open with three runs in the fifth to make it 7-2.
 
Bertelsen drove in Roth for her second RBI of the game on a fielder's choice in the sixth but that's all Concordia could muster in their final game of the trip.
 
Stephanie Kappes took the loss for the Golden Bears as she threw all seven innings and gave up five earned runs and struck out five.
 
Concordia returns to action this Friday as they head back down south to take part in the Missouri Western Tournament.