ST. CLOUD, Minn. – The Concordia-St. Paul softball team (1-3) fell in a very close and competitive game to Sioux Falls (4-3) nine innings in their last game at the Kelly Laas Memorial Invitational.
 
Sioux Falls 6, Concordia-St. Paul 5 (9 innings)
- Samantha Sullivan lost her second game of the season after pitching all nine innings, while allowing seven hits, six runs (four earned) and a pair of strikeouts. Breanna Black took the win for Sioux Falls pitching two innings, allowing six hits and four runs.
- Justine Schattner went a perfect 4-4 at the plate with one RBI. Nicole Thompson went 3-4 with one RBI and two runs scored.
- Sydney Nieveen went a perfect 3-3 at the plate with two runs scored and one RBI. Emily Hove and Kerrigan Hoshaw each drove in two RBI.
- The Golden Bears got on the board first in the home half of the first thanks to a RBI single by Justine Schattner. Schattner would steal second, moving into her scoring position but would be left on base when the inning concluded.
- In innings two and three both teams went three up and three down keeping the score at 1-0.
- Sioux Falls would tie the game in the top of the fourth with a lead off solo home run by Sydney Nieveen.
- Concordia had a chance to regain the lead after Justine Schattner led off the bottom of the fourth with a single and then advanced when Liz Jarosz drew a walk. However, CSP was not able to get another run across the plate leaving the game tied at one.
- In the top of the fifth, Samantha Sullivan retired the first two USF batters but an error by the Golden Bear defense kept the inning alive. Britni Broussard of the Cougars would then steal second and then advance to third on a ball four wild pitch.
- With runners on the corners Sullivan would get out of the jam keeping the score dead even.
- In the top of the sixth inning, with one out and the bases loaded, Sullivan again was able to get out of the jam thanks to a nice double play by the CSP defense.
- Concordia was able to put together a pair of hits in the bottom of the sixth but could not find that go ahead run.
- In the seventh, both teams again went three up and three down forcing extra innings.
- Sioux Falls was able to produce three runs in the top of the eighth thanks to a RBI double by Jasmine Ragusi and then a two RBI single by Emily Hove.
- The Golden Bears would load the bases in the bottom of the eighth with no outs. Carlie Hart would ground out to second base but drive in the runner from third and advance all runners to pull CSP within two runs.
- Nicole Thompson would then single, scoring Sarah Kivisto from third and advancing Lily Langevin to third making it a one run game.
- Liz Jarosz and all runners would reach base safely off a fielder's choice reloading the bases. At the next at bat, all runners would advance on a passed ball which would tie the game at four.
- Haley Schanks had a chance to drive in the winning run but grounded out to the pitcher to end the inning.
- In the top of the ninth, with a runner on second, thanks to the international tie breaking rule, Kerrigan Hoshaw would come into pinch hit for Sioux Falls and blast a two-run home run giving USF a run lead. The next three batters for the Cougars would be retired giving CSP one more chance to tie or win the game.
- In a last chance effort, with two outs and a runner on third, Lizzy Swenson would record a pinch hit RBI single to pull Concordia within one run.
- Langevin would then single putting Swenson in scoring position but the Golden Bears could not produce the tying run as Hart would line out to end the game in the next at bat.

UP NEXT
- The Golden Bears travel down to Arkansas next weekend for UAM 8 State Classic. They play a total of six games between Friday, Feb. 17 and Sunday, Feb. 19.