FAYETTE, Iowa – The Concordia University softball team (15-25, 10-10 NSIC) swept Upper Iowa (13-23, 6-10 NSIC) in an NSIC doubleheader with scores of 7-4 and 8-3 on Wednesday afternoon.
 
Freshman Liz Jarosz had a huge day at the plate as she went 5-7 with three home runs, a double and eight RBI. She now has a team-high seven home runs and is tied for the team lead with 37 RBI.
 
Junior Stephanie Kappes (7-15) was effective in the circle as she collected two wins while throwing all 14.0 innings and allowing seven runs, six earned while striking out 18 and walking four.
 
Teona Zepeda reached base on six of her eight trips as she went 4-6 with triple and a double and four runs scored out of the two spot in the lineup.
 
GAME ONE: Concordia-St. Paul 7, Upper Iowa 4
 
The Golden Bears opened the scoring in the top of the third on a two-out RBI triple for Teona Zepeda as she brought home Jamie Fleischhacker, who reached via a walk. The Peacocks escaped more trouble as Emily Shinn delivered a single with one out before being thrown out trying to steal second.
 
CU then used the long ball to grow the lead to 4-0 as Liz Jarosz hit her fifth home run of the year on a solo shot in the fourth and Tessa Ewert hit her third of the year on two run blast in the fifth.
 
The Peacocks struggled against Stephanie Kappes as they were held off the scoreboard until the fifth.
 
Upper Iowa finally broke through with an RBI single with two down in the fifth to bring home an unearned run against Kappes.
 
The two teams each pushed three runs across in the sixth to make it 7-4.
 
Bekah Roth was hit by a pitch with the bases loaded to bring in a run before Jarosz brought home two more with a single to right center.
 
After Kappes struck out the leadoff hitter in the bottom of the sixth, the Peacocks strung together five singles sandwiched around another strikeout to bring three runs across in the inning.
 
Kappes set a season high with 12 strikeouts and allowed four runs, three earned, on 10 hits with two walks in the complete game win. She also helped her cause by going 2-4 at the plate with a run scored.
 
The two teams will continue action in game two at 4:30 p.m. Follow the game live via the links above and check back later for a game two recap.
 
GAME TWO: Concordia-St. Paul 8, Upper Iowa 3
 
Concordia struck first with a run in the first as Jarosz stayed hot with a double to drive in Teona Zepeda.
 
They tacked on two more in the third to make it 3-0 in favor of the Golden Bears. Jamie Fleischhacker got the rally started with a leadoff single and came around to score on a double for Zepeda. With two down in the inning with Zepeda on third and Jarosz on second, Kelly McKenzie brought Zepeda home with an infield single.
 
Upper Iowa struggled with Kappes again in the early going as they weren't able to get on the board in the bottom of the fourth on an RBI double for Williams.
 
Jarosz continued her assault of UIU pitching in the fifth with a two-run homer that brought home Roth. After UIU scored two in the fifth, Jarosz went deep again in the sixth with her second home run of the day and third of the day to extend the lead to 8-3.
 
Kappes allowed three runs on six hits with six strikeouts in her second consecutive complete game win.
 
Zepeda and Jarosz each collected three hits in the game as Zepeda scored three times and Jarosz drove in five in the game.

Roth also had a nice game at the dish with two doubles, an RBI and two runs scored.

Concordia remains on the road this weekend as they pay visits to #17 Augustana on Friday and Wayne State on Saturday.