WEST ST. PAUL, Minn. – The Concordia-St. Paul softball team (7-1) continued their hot start to the year with another pair of wins in West St. Paul to conclude the 2018 Dragon Beaver Bash. The Bears first defeated Southwest Minnesota State 6-2 and then took down MSU Moorhead 13-2 (5 innings). This 7-1 record marks the best start that the Golden Bears have had since the 2004 season, when that team also went 7-1 to start the year.
 
GAME 1: Concordia-St. Paul 6, Southwest Minnesota State 2
Concordia started their day with a win over SMSU, and now have won the last two against the Mustangs, getting game two from them last year 4-2 in Marshall.  This year, the game was scoreless until the bottom of the third inning, when the Bears got on the board first. SMSU answered with two runs of their own in the top of the fourth, but CSP got out of it and scored four runs in the bottom of the inning, giving them a 5-2 lead. The Bears would tack on another run in the sixth, but would not need it, as the Mustangs did not score again all game.
 
CSP compiled 11 hits in the win, as senior Nicole Thompson led the way going 3-4 with a pair of RBIs. This was Thompson's fourth multi-hit game so far this season and extended her hitting streak to seven straight games. Freshman Cam Veenbaas and junior Carlie Hart were also solid at the plate, each tallying two hits.  
 
On the mound, sophomore Aryka Knoche went all seven innings, giving up two earned runs on four hits and two walks and she improves her record to 3-1 on the year. Knoche struck out five in the game, and now has 20 strikeouts on the year, which is pacing the Golden Bears. The defense played errorless behind her, which is the fifth game so far this year that the Bears have finished with zero errors.
 
Hart was responsible for getting the Bears on the board first in the bottom of the third. The junior outfielder singled and then stole second and third before scoring due to a throwing error from the catcher. The Mustangs answered with two hits to start the fourth inning, followed by a sac bunt to move the runners over. One run scored on a single to center and another scored on a sacrifice fly.
 
The Bears rallied in the bottom of the fourth, scoring four runs on three hits and one error. Sophomore Hannah Carlson scored first on an inside the park homerun. Kris McIntyre (pinch running for Parsons) then scored on an error by the center fielder, and Thompson knocked in two with a single, giving the Bears a 5-2 lead.

Concordia would add an insurance run in the bottom of the sixth, when Veenbaas scored on a single from Hart. Knoche would not need it, though, as she did not give up a hit after the fourth inning.
 
GAME 2: Concordia-St. Paul 13, MSU Moorhead 2 (5 innings)
For the second time in two days the Golden Bears defeated the Dragons in five innings, defeating them on Thursday by a score of 8-0. This is the fourth game this season that has lasted only five innings, with CSP being on the winning end in three out of those four games.
 
The Bears got out to an early lead, scoring six runs on six hits in the top of the first inning. The Dragons would get one back in the bottom of the second, but the Bears answered with three runs in the top of the third. Concordia would also score two more in each the fourth and fifth innings to put the game out of reach. The Bears' offense registered a season-high 16 hits in the win, helping them to tally a season-best 13 runs.
 
Ten different Golden Bears recorded hits in the game, with four different players having a multi-hit game. Hart went 4-5 with two doubles and three RBIs and junior Justine Schattner went 2-2 with a homerun and a game-high four RBIs. Makenna Giese and Veenbaas each went 2-4 in the game and Giese drove in two runs. Thompson also recorded a hit in the game to extend her hit streak to eight.
 
Samantha Sullivan got the start and went 4.0 innings to come away with the win, making her 1-0 on the year. She allowed one earned run, on two hits. Kali Kaestner came in for the final inning, not allowing a hit, retiring the Dragons 1-2-3 to end the game.
 
Hart started the big first inning rally with a single and was brought in by the Schattner homerun, which was the first of the year for the junior third-baseman. Haley Schanks and Hannah Carlson then walked and Schanks scored on a Giese single. Parsons then singled, scoring another run and Langevin followed that up with a double to left to score Giese. Parsons then scored the final run of the inning on a Hart single, her second of the inning.
 
The Dragons got one run back in the bottom of the second, scoring on a CSP error. In the top of the next inning, CSP scored three runs, all with two outs. Parsons walked to lead off the inning, and then the top of the order recorded four straight hits to score three. The Dragons scored their final run of the game in the bottom of the third when they put together three hits in the inning to get one across.
 
In the fourth and fifth innings, Concordia tallied six hits to score four more runs. Hart drove in two of those runs in the fourth and Giese and Veenbaas each drove in a run in the fifth. MSU Moorhead got out 1-2-3 in the final two innings of the game, allowing CSP to win 13-2 in five innings.
 
The Bears will return to playing outside next week, when they travel to Florida to participate in the Spring Games in Clermont. CSP will play ten games in five games, taking on ten different opponents.