ST. PAUL, Minn. - The Concordia University softball team (17-31, 12-16 NSIC) battled back in game two to pick up a split with Minnesota Duluth (24-18, 10-7 NSIC) at Carlander Field on Friday afternoon. The Bulldogs used a four-run seventh inning to take game one 12-10 before the Golden Bears fought back to take game two 5-4.
The top four hitters in the Concordia lineup combined to go 12-28 (.429) with a home run, two doubles, seven RBI and nine runs scored to pace the offense.
GAME ONE: Minnesota Duluth 12, Concordia-St. Paul 10
The Golden Bears built an early 5-1 advantage in the first three innings with one run in the first, two in the second and two in the third while the Bulldogs scored a single run in the second.
Alicia Meiser got things started with a leadoff single and stole second to set the table for
Teona Zepeda to drive her in with a single up the middle.
Ashley Lewis drove an RBI single in the second to bring in an unearned run before the Golden Bears answered back with two of their own on an RBI single for Meiser in the bottom of the inning.
Tessa Ewert hit her fourth home run of the season in the third to extend the lead to 5-1.
UMD quickly stormed back to tie it with four runs in the fourth and take the lead with three runs in the fifth. The seven run outburst was capped by an RBI double and a three run home run for Ashley Schilling. Schilling was 3-4 with three runs and four RBI on the day.
Concordia would fight back to tie it with three in their half of the fifth and regain the lead with a pair of runs in the sixth in the back-and-forth game.
The Golden Bears brought three runs home on a throwing error by pitcher Carli Sadler to even the score before
Bekah Roth went deep with a two-run shot to take a 10-8 lead heading into the seventh.
Kappes had the Bulldogs down to their final out with runners on first and second before walking the next hitter and allowing a bases clearing double for Sami Schnyder to put UMD on top. They added another on a fielding error for the Golden Bears to gain an insurance run at 12-10.
CU went down in order in the bottom of the inning as reliever Mariah Schultz finished off the game to pick up the win.
Kappes (8-19) was snake-bitten as she allowed 12 runs, five earned, with a pair of strikeouts in the complete game loss.
GAME TWO: Concordia-St. Paul 5, Minnesota Duluth 4
The second game started off a bit quieter as both teams put up zeroes through the first two and a half innings.
Roth broke the scoreless tie in the bottom of the third with a double in the gap to bring in two runs. The RBI were was her fifth of the day as she increased her team-leading mark to 45.
They added another run in the fourth to increase their lead to three as
Cassie Bertelsen lined an RBI single in the gap to bring home
Jamie Fleischhacker, who walked and stole second.
Pitcher
Linzy Heim worked out of trouble in the first few innings before the Bulldogs hung a four spot in the fifth. The big hit came on a three-run homer for Jordan Rice, her 10th of the season, to give the Bulldogs a 4-3 lead.
Concordia wouldn't let that lead last long as they scored two in the bottom of the fifth. Roth drove in her third run of the game and fifth of the day with a single up the middle as she increased her team-leading mark to 45. Later in the inning with the bases loaded, pinch-hitter
Taylor Linn smacked a hard one-hopper to short and looked to be a potential double play ball but an errant throw to the plate allowed Roth to score the go-ahead run.
Kappes came on in relief in the sixth and held the Bulldogs to one hit to pick up her third save of the year.
Heim (9-11) worked five innings and allowed four runs on hits hits while striking out one and walking one to pick up the win.
Despite picking up a split, the Golden Bears dropped a spot in the NSIC standings and now sit in 10th place heading into the final day of the season. Upper Iowa moved a game ahead of CU with a sweep of Minnesota Crookston and Southwest Minnesota State pulled to within a half game with a sweep of MSU Moorhead. The Peacocks close out their season tomorrow with a doubleheader against Bemidji State while the Mustangs finish up tomorrow with Northern State.
The Golden Bears close out the regular season tomorrow at Carlander Field with Senior Day at 1 p.m. against St. Cloud State. Two wins will guarantee a spot in the postseason as the Golden Bears honor their two seniors in their final home games in Concordia uniforms.
