CLERMONT, Fla. - Senior right handed pitcher
Linzy Heim has put together back-to-back exceptional starts, twirling a complete game two hitter for the second time in a row as Concordia-St. Paul (6-13) topped Saint Michael's (0-8) 3-1 on Friday afternoon at Legends Way.
Concordia concludes its 12-game Florida spring trip tomorrow with morning games against Pace University and Hillsdale College at Hancock Park. The Golden Bears are 4-3 in their past seven and 4-5 on the trip with one cancelation.
Only one baserunner reached second base in the first five innings, and Heim had a no-hitter into the sixth inning with one out. She retired 12 straight from the second through sixth innings at one point. Four of her innings were of the 1-2-3 variety, and she also faced the minimum in the first, erasing a one out walk with a 6-4-3 double play.
She improved to 3-6 on the year and has seen her season ERA dip over a run and a half during her past two starts. Only seven batters have reached base with a hit or walk in her last 12 innings, and all four hits have been singles.
The lineup didn't struggle to reach base, but didn't scratch a run across until the fifth inning. In the first, CSP loaded the bases with no outs but STM cut down the lead runner at home on consecutive grounders.
In the fourth, it was senior catcher
Elena Koncar driving in
Hannah Carlson, who reached on a fielder's choice and stole second to get into scoring position to go ahead 1-0.
Senior first baseman
Liz Jarosz drove in junior second baseman
Nicole Thompson in the fifth after Thompson led off the inning by hitting a single the other way to left field. In the sixth, sophomore
Carlie Hart drove a two out double to the gap in right center and scored on an error for the 3-1 lead.
Hart and Thompson each went 2-4 with a run and Jarosz was 2-3 with an RBI.
Thompson and sophomore shortstop
Justine Schattner have each hit safely in five straight games and each have nine multi-hit games on the season. Thompson (.453) and Schattner (.414) also lead the club in hitting on the year.
Torie Rathwell took the loss for STM, falling to 0-4 after allowing three runs (two earned) on 10 hits in a complete game (6.0 IP). The only two hits in the lineup for Saint Michael's came from the first and third spots in the order.