BISMARK, N.D. – The Concordia-St. Paul softball team (16-35, 8-22 NSIC) traded wins with U-Mary (20-35, 14-16 NSIC) to wrap up the 2017 season. UM won 2-1 in game one off a walk off double and then Concordia bounced back with a 3-1 win.
 
GAME 1: U-Mary 2, Concordia-St. Paul 1
Concordia has struggled to score runs as of late, being held scoreless in their last five games. That streak would end in the top of sixth with CSP trailing 1-0, Liz Jarosz would launch her NSIC leading 15^th home run over the fence tying the game at one.
 
Both teams had multiple opportunities in the third and fourth innings to break the scoreless game but neither team could drive in the go ahead run.
 
The first run of the game did not come until the fifth inning and it went to U-Mary. With one out and a runner on second, Taylor Mendez delivered with a RBI double to give the Marauders a 1-0 lead.
 
In the seventh the Golden Bears would be retired in order and it looked like Marauders would go down in order as well forcing extra innings. However, with two outs Mendez drew a walk before Amber Gamboa drove the ball deep to right center field for a walk-off RBI double, scoring Mendez from first for the 2-1 win.
 
Brieann Backes (10-14) earned the win for the Marauders pitching all seven innings, allowing eight hits, one run and striking out five. Samantha Sullivan (6-16) took the loss after allowing nine hits, two runs in six and two-thirds innings of work.
 
Haley Schanks, Elena Koncar, and Emily Shinn all finished with a pair of hits for CSP in the loss. Colleen Crutchfield went a perfect 3-3 at the plate for U-Mary.
 
GAME 2: Concordia-St. Paul 3, U-Mary 1
The beginning of game two was very similar to the beginning of game one. Both teams struggled to get hits and the score remained scoreless for more than half the game.
 
Each team only managed two hits apiece, all singles, through five innings of play. It wasn't until the sixth inning until the CSP bats caught fire.
 
The Golden Bears compiled four hits in the top of the sixth and drove in two runs to take a 2-0 lead. Justine Schattner, Liz Jarosz, and Haley Schanks all singled in the inning.
 
Linzy Heim would it four straight singles for CSP as she drove in Jarosz from third giving Concordia a 1-0 lead. Sarah Kivisto would then hit a sacrifice fly, scoring Schanks from third to make it a 2-0 CSP advantage.
 
The Marauders would cut the lead in half in the bottom of the sixth off a RBI single by Amber Gamboa to center field scoring R Keller from third.
 
CSP would make it a two run lead yet again in the top of the seventh when Liz Jarosz ripped a RBI single to center field scoring Lily Langevin from second.
 
With a 3-1 lead and a half inning left in the regular season senior pitcher Linzy Heim would retire Mary in order to end the season and her career with a win.
 
Lily Langevin led the way for Concordia going a perfect 3-3 at the plate, while Jarosz and Schattner each finished with a pair of hits.
 
Linzy Heim (10-15) earned her 29^th career win pitching all seven innings, allowing only four hits and one run while striking out one. Her 10 wins for the season is a career-high for senior pitcher. She wraps up her career with 252 career strikeouts which ranks sixth in program history.

Liz Jarosz wraps up her career ranking second in home runs in single season with 15 and career home runs with 33. Sarah Kivisto finished her senior year with single season bests in hits (65), doubles (14), home runs (2) and RBI (19). Elena Koncar wraps up her career playing in and starting 196 career games behind the plate. Emily Shinn finishes with 92 career hits in 161 career games.
 
Concordia finishes their season with a 16-35 overall record and an 8-22 record in NSIC play.