BENTONVILLE, Ark. – The Concordia-St. Paul softball team (1-8) dropped a wild game to Drury University (2-3) by a score of 15-13 on the final day of the 8 State Classic, Sunday morning.
*CSP vs Ouachita Baptist recap will be posted at a later time.
Concordia led 9-4 heading into the fifth before the Panthers scored 11 runs in their final three trips to the plate as the two teams combined for 15 runs over the last three innings of the game.
Justine Schattner had another big game at the plate as she went 3-4 with a pair of doubles and five RBI while
Carlie Hart, Haley Schanks, Hannah Carlson and Sarah Kivisto each had a pair of hits and Kivisto added 4 RBI. CSP put up 14 hits, including five doubles in the loss.
It was the Panthers who struck first as they took a 2-0 lead in the top of the first. DU used a RBI double by Taylor Ellestad to score Dominique Salinas from first for their first run and then the following at bat, Ellestad would score off a throwing error for the Panthers second run.
The Golden Bears would get one run in the bottom of the first thanks to a sacrifice bunt by
Nicole Thompson to score
Carlie Hart from third.
The Drury lead wouldn't last long as the Golden Bears drove in eight runs in the bottom of the second.
Hannah Carlson singled and then Sarah Kivisto drove Carlson home with a RBI double to tie the game. CSP would then draw a pair of walks to load the bases and then a third walk by
Nicole Thompson would bring home the go ahead run.
Justine Schattner would then bring in two more runners with a RBI double giving Concordia a 5-2 lead.
Following a pitching change
Liz Jarosz would draw a walk to reload the bases with one out and then
Haley Schanks singled which scored Thompson from third.
Sarah Kivisto would wrap up the eight run inning with a bases loaded RBI double that brought home all three runners giving Concordia a 9-2 lead.
In the third and fourth inning Drury would tally one run in each inning off a RBI single with the bases loaded and a fielding error that scored a runner from third. CSP would not produce any hits in the third and fourth innings.
In the top of the fifth the Panther's bats came to life. DU loaded the bases and used a RBI single and double and a fielder's choice to pull within two runs and only one out. Drury would reload the bases two batters later and another error by Concordia would score a run making it a one run game with the bases still loaded. A two RBI single by Marissa Ross would give DU their first lead since the first inning and a RBI double by Rachael Michaelis the following at bat would wrap up the seven run inning giving Drury a 11-9 lead.
The Golden Bears grabbed the lead right back in the bottom of the fifth as
Elena Koncar led the inning with a double and the
Lily Langevin added a single moving Koncar to third.
Carlie Hart would add a single of her own, driving home Koncar, pulling CSP within one. Thompson would then single after a pitching change to load the bases before Schattner recorded a RBI single to give Concordia a 12-11 lead heading into the sixth inning.
That lead would not last as the Panthers responded with two more runs in the top of the sixth. Drury put together three hits and a walk to go along with a Concordia error to take the lead back at 13-12 heading into the home half of the sixth.
CSP would not be able to tie or regain the lead in the bottom of the sixth as they left a runner in scoring position.
The Panthers would add a pair of insurance runs in the top of the seventh of a two-run home run by Destiny Bolen to give DU a 15-12 lead heading into the final half inning of play.
Concordia had one final chance to either win or force extra innings and Hart led off with a single. Thompson would then reach first on a fielder's choice. With one out, Schattner would record her fifth RBI of the game with a double scoring Thompson from first to pull within two. After a fly out, the Golden Bears were down to their last out, but Schanks kept their chances alive with a single that moved Schattner to third. However, Carlson would ground out to the first baseman to end the game as CSP fell 15-13.
Marissa Ross and Dominique Salinas both went 4-5 at the plate for Drury and each recorded a pair of RBI in the win.
Linzy Heim (1-3) took the loss as she went the distance surrendering 21 hits, 15 runs (nine earned) and striking out four.
