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ST. JOSEPH, Mo. - The Concordia University softball team (5-13) moved to an even 2-2 through their first four games in the Missouri Western State Softball Tournament with an 8-4 win over Washburn (13-8) and a 13-7 loss to Missouri Southern State (10-18).

Through the first 18 games between the Northern Sun (NSIC) and the Mid-America Intercollegiate Athletic Association (MIAA), the NSIC holds a 10-8 advantage. There are 18 games that still remain between the two leagues between Saturday afternoon and Sunday.

GAME ONE: Concordia-St. Paul 8, Washburn 4

The Golden Bears came out swinging in the first game of the day after being delayed for two hours due to cold temperatures. They put runs on the board in each of the first three innings as they jumped out to an early 6-0 lead.

Bekah Roth got things started with a two-out hit in the first before Liz Jarosz brought her home with an RBI single. Roth came up again in the second with two outs and runners on second and third and brought in a pair with another single.

Tessa Ewert collected the big hit in the third as she drove a double down the left field line to bring home Navarae Honoroff and Jamie Fleischhacker. Elena Koncar later brought in Ewert on an RBI ground out to make it 6-0.

The Ichabods chipped away at the lead as they scored two in the fifth and two in the sixth to cut the lead to 6-4.

Washburn managed to pick up a pair of runs without registering a hit in the fifth. A miscue in the outfield that would have gotten CU out of the inning brought in two runs. Haylee Marsteller added two more a two-run homer in the sixth to put the pressure on the Golden Bears.

Cassie Bertelsen open Concordia's half of the sixth with a double and Koncar followed with a single to pick up her second RBI of the game. Roth picked up her third RBI of the game later in the inning to drive in Emily Shinn who came in to pinch run for Koncar.

Stephanie Kappes closed the door in the seventh with a 1-2-3 inning to move to 3-9 on the year. She threw a complete game with five strikeouts while only allowing two earned runs on five hits.

Alicia Meiser, Tessa Ewert and Bekah Roth paced the Golden Bear offense with two hits each.

GAME TWO: Missouri Southern State 13, Concordia 7

Concordia jumped out hot, scoring two in the top of the first and another in the top of the second to hold a 3-2 lead that would remain a 1-run advantage after four innings, 4-3.

Honoroff delivered a two-out, bases loaded two-run double in the first to get the Golden Bear offense rolling.

In the top of the fifth, Concordia extended the margin to 7-3 using speed on the bases to cross home. Concordia stole five bases in the inning (Honoroff stole second and third, Koncar stole third) but would leave runners on second and third after the three run rally.

Power would be the Lions choice weapon throughout the game, especially in the bottom of the inning. MSSU scored eight runs to take control of the game, 11-7, behind a two-run homer with no outs and three straight run scoring doubles (one being a two-run double).

In fact, the Lions slugged six doubles and four home runs in the game en route to a 13-7 final.

MSSU's top threat was its sixth hitter, Romines, going 4-4 with two homers, four RBI and a double while its second hitter, Brown, went 3-4 with a homer, two doubles and three RBI.

Shinn led Concordia by going 3-4 with three runs out of the ninth spot while Honoroff and McKenzie each had two hits.

After 18 games, Roth leads the club with 18 RBI but Honoroff has the top slugging percentage among regulars at .522. The team has now swiped 41 bases without being caught on the year led by Meiser's nine.

Starting pitcher Linzy Heim took the loss, falling to 2-4 in her freshman campaign while Kappes finished the final two frames.

Tomorrow's games are also delayed due to expected cold temperatures in the morning. Concordia will play host Missouri Western at 2 p.m. on MWSU's softball field followed by Central Missouri at 4:30 at Heritage Park field three to close out the tournament.