BENTONVILLE, Ark. – The Concordia-St. Paul softball team (2-8) wrapped up the 8 State Classic with a 3-2 win over Ouachita Baptist (6-5) on Sunday afternoon.

Freshman pitcher Samantha Sullivan (1-3) earned her first collegiate win in complete game performance, allowing only six hits, two runs and striking out a career-best six batters.

After an offensive battle in the previous game against Drury earlier in the day, the Golden Bears relied on their defense and the pitching of Sullivan to help clinch their second win of the season.
 
CSP jumped ahead right away after forcing a three up and three down by OBU in the top of the first. Carlie Hart led off the bottom of the first with a single and would advance to second on a failed pickoff attempt and then advance to third on a groundout by Lily Langevin. Liz Jarosz would drive home Hart to give CSP a 1-0 lead after the first.

The Tigers would draw a pair of walks in the top of the second to get a runner in scoring position with only one out, but the Concordia defense would halt the attack and maintaining their lead.

The Golden Bears would load the bases in the top of the second with no outs following a pair of singles and an error. Hart would give with sacrifice fly to center field that would score Hannah Carlson from third giving CSP a 2-0 lead.
  
Concordia would add their final run in the bottom of the third, once again loading the bases thanks to three singles by Jarosz, Haley Schanks, and Hannah Carlson. Following a pitching change by OBU, the first attempt to add another run came up short as Jarosz was thrown out at home on a fielder's choice.

The following at bat though Schanks would score on a passed ball to give the Golden Bears a 3-0 lead.

Ouachita Baptist would notch their first run of the game in the top of the fourth after two errors put runners on first and second and then a SAC bunt moved the runners over to second third. Daniella Brantley score on a wild pitch to trimming the CSP lead to only two runs.

Concordia had a chance to rebuild their lead back up to three in the bottom of the fourth but stranded the bases loaded keeping the score at 3-1.

Despite the run and runners reaching base, Sullivan had a no-hitter heading into the fifth inning. Madison Crosby would end the no-hitter with a leadoff single.

After only recording one hit in the first five innings, the OBU bats would heat up on the sixth as they piled four hits and also made it a one run game thanks to a RBI single by Sadie Lovelace.
 
The Golden Bears could not add any more runs in the bottom of the sixth as they went three up and three down, leaving the game in the arm of Sullivan and the defense.

In the top of the seventh, Concordia recorded two quick outs, before the tying run reached first with a single but again the CSP defense would prevent any comeback as Sullivan forced the final Tiger batter to ground out giving the Golden Bears the 3-2 win.

CSP has a week off before traveling down to Clermont, Florida for 12 games beginning on March 12.