WAYNE, Neb. – Powered by an impressive offensive showing, the Concordia-St. Paul softball team (17-11, 2-4 NSIC) swept Wayne State (7-18, 1-5 NSIC) by scores of 13-0 and 7-4. The Golden Bears outhit the Wildcats 26-10 on the day and had 12 different players register at least one hit throughout the two games.
 
GAME 1: Concordia-St. Paul 13, Wayne State 0 (5 innings)
The CSP offense racked up 14 hits throughout the first game, while also taking advantage of six walks and three Wildcat errors to put up 13 runs, which ties their season high. Nine different players combined to reach the 14-hit mark, with Amanda Parsons and Carlie Hart leading the way, both going 3-4 at the plate.
 
Parsons drove in a massive six runs throughout the game, hitting her first two collegiate home runs and also doubling to left center. The freshman catcher opened the scoring for CSP, hitting a solo home run in the top of the second. Hart, who singled in the inning, would come around to score on a wild pitch to give the Bears a 2-0 lead.
 
In the fourth inning, the Bears scored five runs on three hits, to increase their lead to 7-0. Hart doubled to start the rally, followed by a Nicole Thompson bunt single. Hannah Carlson walked and Haley Schanks reached on a Wayne State error that scored two runs. Parsons took care of the rest of the inning's scoring, hitting a three-run shot to left field.
 
The Bears would top this effort in the fifth, scoring six more runs on five hits. Sophomore Lily Langevin highlighted this inning, recording two hits, an RBI, and a stolen base. Makenna Giese also came up with a clutch single that drove in two runs. Parsons finished her noteworthy hitting day with a double that scored two more runs for the Bears.
 
Samantha Sullivan and the defense took care of the rest. Sullivan had an impressive showing on the mound, giving up just four hits, holding the Wildcats scoreless in the five-inning game. The Bears' defense was solid behind the sophomore pitcher, playing five innings of errorless softball.  The shutout marks the second time this season that the Bears have held their opponent to zero runs. Sullivan struck out three in the game, while walking only one to improve to 4-1 on the year.
 
GAME 2: Concordia-St. Paul 7, Wayne State 4
The Bears carried that offensive momentum into the second game, tallying 12 hits, using a big fifth inning to propel them to a 7-4 win. Eight different Golden Bears recorded hits in the win, with the top of the order being especially active, as Hart, Thompson, and junior Justine Schattner each recorded two hits apiece. Senior Lizzy Swenson also ended with two hits, including her first double of the season
 
Schattner got the scoring started as she doubled, scoring Thompson from first in the first inning. Hart would drive in the Bears' second run of the game in the second inning, hitting a sac-fly to left field scoring Swenson from third.
 
The Wildcats scored two runs in the second inning to tie it up, and two more runs in the fourth to take a 4-2 lead. In the fourth, WSC had already scored two runs and threatened to score more as they had bases loaded, but sophomore Kali Kaestner, who relieved Aryka Knoche, struck out a Wildcat batter to end the inning.
 
The Bears did not allow Wayne State to be in the lead for long, as they answered with a five-run fifth inning. Hart and Thompson started the rally with back-to-back singles. Schattner then hit her second double of the day, scoring Hart. Freshman Hanna Mortenson, getting the start at first base, came through with a double, scoring Thompson and Schattner. Parsons, in the lineup as the designated player, then hit her third home run of the day and third of her college career to score Mortenson and help the Bears take a 7-4 lead, which they would hold onto for the last two and half innings.
 
Knoche started on the mound for the Bears, going the first 3.1 innings, giving up four runs on six hits. Kaestner relieved Knoche in the middle of the fourth inning and finished out the game, giving up no runs on no hits, while striking out two. With the performance, Kaestner picked up the win and is now 7-5 so far this season.
 
UP NEXT
After having six games in three days, the Bears will have a little bit of a break before continuing their NSIC schedule on April 5^th when they take on Southwest Minnesota State at West St. Paul Dome. First pitch is set for 11:30 a.m.