MARSHALL, Minn. – The Concordia-St. Paul softball team (8-21, 2-4 NSIC) picked up their second split in as many days as they dropped game one and won game two at Southwest Minnesota State (14-12, 3-3 NSIC) on Tuesday afternoon. The Mustangs took the first game 8-2 and the Golden Bears took the second game 10-7.
Southwest Minnesota State 8, Concordia-St. Paul 2The Golden Bears found themselves in a 6-0 hole after three innings and they were unable to recover as the Mustangs pulled away with a game one win.
SMSU used a two out single from Jazmyne Neely in the first inning to bring across two runs to make it 2-0 after one inning of play. Neely added to the lead with an RBI single in the third before Karmann Carroll drove in two more with a double and came around to score on a wild pitch to quickly grow the lead to 6-0.
Concordia was unable to solve SMSU pitcher Alex O'Connor (10-6) until the fourth when
Liz Jarosz doubled to open the inning and later scored on a wild pitch. O'Connor closed out the inning but that would be all for her as she allowed one run on three hits and four walks in her four innings of work.
Taylor Koloc gave reliever Erin McDurmont some more breathing room in the fifth as she delivered a run scoring double before crossing the plate on a wild pitch to extend it to 8-1.
The Golden Bears did deliver a rally in the seventh as
Elena Koncar,
Teona Zepeda and
Nicole Thompson strung together three straight hits to bring in a run and
Jamie Fleischhacker drew a walk to load the bases but that would be it as SMSU closed out the 8-2 win.
Stephanie Kappes got the start in the circle but lasted just two innings as she took the loss.
Haley Schanks worked the final four innings, giving up two runs and striking out five in relief.
Zepeda and Thompson each delivered two hits for the Golden Bears at the plate.
Concordia-St. Paul 10, Southwest Minnesota State 7After falling behind three different times in the second game, the bats came alive in the late innings for the Golden Bears as they exploded for three runs in the fifth and five in the sixth to pick up the split.
The Mustangs got to Concordia starter
Linzy Heim in the first as they used a two out single followed by a double to take a 1-0 lead.
The Golden Bears didn't wait long to even it up as
Emily Shinn led off the second inning with a double before coming around to score on a
Lizzy Swenson single.
Concordia was forced to play from behind again after Neely drove in another run with a single for the Mustangs, bringing home Reinsma to make it 2-1 heading into the fourth.
Once again, the Golden Bears answered right back with a run in the top of the fourth as Swenson delivered the big hit once again with a double with two down to bring in
Kelly McKenzie.
It didn't appear to be Concordia's day when SMSU used a bases clearing double off the bat of Madisson Chadwick to score three runs and give the Mustangs some breathing room.
Showing their resilience, CU answered with a three-spot of their own in the top of the fifth capped by a two-run homer off the bat of
Liz Jarosz, her second of the year. McKenzie scored the tying run later in the inning as she crossed the plate on a fielder error that would have ended the inning.
Stephanie Kappes, who replaced starter
Linzy Heim with runners on first and second and one out in the bottom of the fifth, worked around a walk that loaded the bases as she escaped the inning with the score still tied.
The Mustangs aided the Concordia effort in the top of the sixth as three CU hitters reached base via the walk, including one that brought home a run, and another reached base via an error which also brought in two runs.
Sarah Kivisto and
Amber Galloway each added RBI singles with two outs to make it a five run inning to give the Golden Bears a 10-5 cushion.
Neely homered for the second time of the day in the SMSU half of the sixth to close the gap to 10-7 but Kappes took it from there to close out the win for Concordia.
It was a balanced offensive attack for the Golden Bears as eight hitters registered a hit and four of which logged two hits. Zepeda, Thompson, Jarosz and Swenson all picked up a pair of hits as Jarosz scored twice and drove in two and Swenson brought home two as well.
Stephanie Kappes (5-12) picked up the win in relief as she worked the final 2.2 innings, allowing no earned runs and striking out one.
Concordia will play in their third different location tomorrow as they travel to Minnesota State to take on the Mavericks. First pitch is set for 2 p.m.
