CLERMONT, Fla. -  In their opening day in the Spring Games in Clermont, Florida, the Concordia-St. Paul softball team (7-3) dropped both games, falling 5-0 against Cedarville (3-2) and 10-8 against Kentucky Wesleyan (8-6). The Golden Bears had an active day at the plate, recording ten hits in each game, but their opponents capitalized with runners on base, outscoring the Bears in each of the contests.
 
GAME 1: Cedarville 5, Concordia-St. Paul 0
In the first game of the day, each team registered ten hits throughout the seven innings. The top of the order hit especially well for the Bears in the game, as the first three hitters combined for seven of the team's ten hits. Senior shortstop Nicole Thompson led the way, going 3-4 and juniors Carlie Hart and Justine Schattner and sophomore Hannah Carlson each had two hits apiece.
 
Sophomore Aryka Knoche got the start for the Bears and took the loss, giving up four runs (three earned) on seven hits and five walks. Knoche is now 3-2 on the year. Samantha Sullivan came in for the final 1.1 innings, allowing one run (unearned) on three hits.
 
The Yellow Jackets got on the board in the top of the first when Heather Lord walked, advanced around the bases and scored on a two-out single to right field. The Bears would hold them scoreless for the next three innings and have some scoring chances of their own in the third and fourth innings. In the third, Hart tripled and would have scored on a sac fly from Thompson, but was called out for leaving early on the tag up. In the fourth, the Bears loaded the bases with two outs, but were unable to get a run across.
 
Cedarville would tack on two runs in the fifth and one in both the sixth and seventh innings and played errorless for the final six innings to secure the 5-0 win.
 
GAME 2: Kentucky Wesleyan 10, Concordia-St. Paul 8
In their second game, the Bears erased a 5-1 deficit with a seven-run sixth inning, but the Panthers answered with five runs in the bottom of the inning to again take the lead, going on to win 10-8.
 
Hart, Schattner, and sophomore Lily Langevin each went 2-3 in the game, combining for six of the team's ten hits. Freshman Hanna Mortenson had a team-high three RBIs and with a single, Thompson extended her hit streak to ten straight games.
 
Kentucky Wesleyan scored first, getting three runs across in the bottom of the first. The Panthers would add another run on a sac fly in the fourth, but this time the Bears answered with a run of their own when Hart tripled to center and Thompson drove her in with a single.
 
The Panthers added to their lead in the fifth, scoring an additional run to make it 5-1. The Bears would rally with a massive sixth inning, scoring seven runs on seven hits and a Panther error. Langevin would start it off with a single to center, followed by a bunt single from Hart. Thompson reached on a shortstop error and Schattner drove in Langevin. Hart scored on a sac fly from senior Haley Schanks and Carlson singled to score Thompson. Knoche singled to load the bases and then Mortenson came up with a clutch, bases-clearing double, driving in three runs. Langevin then recorded her second hit of the inning, driving in the last run for the Bears, putting them up 8-5.
 
Kentucky Wesleyan answered the Bears' big inning with a rally of their own, scoring five runs on four hits, three walks, and two wild pitches. The Panthers then secured the win with 1-2-3 inning in the top of the seventh.  
 
Sophomore Kali Kaestner took the loss for the Bears, going 5.0 innings and giving up nine runs (five earned) on 11 hits and three walks. Sullivan and Knoche combined for the last inning of work, giving up an additional run on two hits.
  
Next Up
The Bears will play again tomorrow against Notre Dame and #6 West Virginia Wesleyan with the first game starting at 8 a.m. (central time). Check the schedule page for live stat links.