LAS VEGAS, Nev. – The Concordia-St. Paul softball team (1-3) was hurt by the big inning for the second game in row as a four-run sixth resulted in a 7-2 loss against Concordia Irvine (4-0) on Saturday night in the second game of the day at the Destert Stinger.
 
The Golden Bears battled back from a 2-0 holed to tie the score at 2-2 in the fifth, but the Eagles answered back with a decisive four runs, including a three-run homer, in the top of the sixth to take the lead for good.
 
The Eagles came out swinging in the top of the first as they picked up three straight singles with one out to open the scoring in the game. Haley Schanks settled down from there, however, as she sent the next two hitters down in order to end the rally.
 
The Golden Bears appeared poised to tie it up in the bottom of the third as Carlie Hart led off with a double for the third game in a row as she continued to pick up hits in bunches. She advanced to third on a sacrifice bunt, but couldn't come in to score as a line out and a pop out ended the inning.
 
Concordia Irvine added to their lead in the third as they manufactured a run with a single, a sacrifice bunt and another single to make it 2-0, but Schanks once again limited the damage to keep CSP in it.
 
After Schanks put up zeroes in the next two innings, the Golden Bears finally broke through at the plate. CSP entered the fifth with just two hits before stringing together three in the inning. Kelly McKenzie got the inning started with a solid single to center and Hart followed with a line drive single to right before Nicole Thompson laid down her second sacrifice bunt of the game to put the pair in scoring position. After a fielder's choice eliminated McKenzie at third, Schanks looped one down the line in right just past the out-stretched glove of the right field to bring in two with a double and tie the score at 2-2.
 
With the help of three walks, one intentional, along with a dropped foul ball in the top of the sixth put the Eagles back out front as the go-ahead run came home on a fielder's choice that nearly resulted in an inning ending-ending double play. With the inning still alive, Ryan Ferguson launched a three-run homer to dead center to make it 6-2 and put the Golden Bears in a deep hole.
 
The Vulcans added an insurance run in the seventh as Amy Eilefson hit an opposite field home run over the right field wall to round out the scoring.
 
Hart extended her hitting streak to four to start her career as she picked up her first career multi-hit game. Schanks added an RBI double while McKenzie added a single. Schattner picked up the only other Golden Bear hit as she also pushed her hitting streak to four to begin her career.
 
Haley Schanks (0-2) pitched much better than her final line appeared as she allowed three runs on 10 hits in the complete game loss.
 
Concordia will close out play in the Desert Stinger tomorrow afternoon as they take on Nebraska-Kearney at 4 p.m.