FAYETTE, Iowa – In their first outdoor contest since March 30^th, the Concordia-St. Paul softball team (20-16, 5-9 NSIC) split with the Upper Iowa Peacocks (15-13, 2-6 NSIC). In game one, the Golden Bears scored in the second, third, and fourth innings to come away with a 7-3 win. In game two, CSP held a 3-1 lead until the sixth inning, when the Peacocks scored two to tie it up and sent it to extra innings. Upper Iowa held the Bears scoreless in the top of the eighth and came up with two clutch hits to secure the split.
 
GAME 1: Concordia-St. Paul 7, Upper Iowa 3
In game one, the Bears took an early 1-0 lead in the second inning and did not look back from there, adding three runs in each of the next two innings to give them a 7-0 advantage. The defense was able to hold on from there, giving up three runs in the fifth, but shutting the door in the sixth and seventh to take the first game.
 
Aryka Knoche pitched all seven innings for the Bears, compiling her ninth win of the year, allowing three runs on seven hits. The sophomore right-hander recorded eight strikeouts in the win and now has 76 on the year.
 
Senior Nicole Thompson led the offense, going 3-4 at the plate with a stolen base and a run scored. With the three hits, Thompson became the seventh Golden Bear to record 200 hits in their career. Thompson, compiling her 13^th multi-hit game of the year, also currently holds the highest career batting average in CSP history, at .394.
 
To get the scoring started for the Bears, freshman Amanda Parsons singled to lead off the top of the second inning and would come around to score on a single from junior Carlie Hart. In the following inning, Justine Schattner reached on a Peacock error to start the third. Haley Schanks walked and Hannah Carlson reached on a fielder's choice to load the bases. Schattner then took advantage of a wild pitch to score and Schanks made a heads-up play, scoring after the wild pitch on the throw back to the pitcher. Carlson would get the Bears' third run of the inning, scoring on a Cam Veenbaas groundout to second.
 
CSP would match their three-run third, adding three more runs in the fourth. Thompson and Schattner singled to start the inning. Thompson then stole third, and would score on a throwing error by the catcher. Schanks then completed the scoring, hitting her second home run of the year, racking up two RBIs.
 
The Peacocks answered in the fifth scoring three runs on four hits and a walk to make it 7-3. Before this inning Knoche had allowed only two hits, striking out seven batters. After the fifth, Knoche continued her solid day at the mound, retiring Upper Iowa on three pitches in the sixth and allowing only one hit in the seventh, as the Bears recorded a double play to end the game.
 
GAME 2: Upper Iowa 4, Concordia-St. Paul 3 (8 innings)
The Bears dropped game two in a heartbreaking 4-3 eight inning loss. CSP was leading 3-1 until the sixth inning, when the Peacocks tied it up. Neither team was able to score in the seventh, sending it to extra innings. Upper Iowa rallied with two outs in the eighth, hitting a single and then a walk-off double to win it and earn a split.
 
Sophomore Samantha Sullivan made the start on the mound, pitching the first four innings, allowing one run on five hits. Kali Kaestner came in for her in the fifth, giving up two runs on a hit and a walk. Knoche relieved Kaestner in the sixth and would take the loss.
 
With a triple in the first inning, Thompson extended her current hit streak to 14 straight games. It was Knoche, however, who would get the Bears on the board first, hitting her fourth home run of the year, scoring Schattner and Schanks to help Concordia take a 3-0 lead.
 
The Peacocks got one back in the third, loading the bases and getting one across on a groundout to first base. Sullivan and the defense got out of the inning without any more damage. Upper Iowa would tie it up in the bottom of the sixth, as they got the bases loaded and scored two runs off of walks.
 
The Bears had chances in both the seventh and eighth innings. Veenbaas led off the seventh with a single up the middle and was bunted over by Lily Langevin, but was unable to get past second. Schattner opened the eighth reaching on a UIU error, but the next three Golden Bears all flied out, leaving the game tied heading into the bottom of the inning.
 
The CSP defense, who stranded 12 Peacock runners throughout the game, recorded the first two outs in the bottom of the eighth, but Upper Iowa came up with back-to-back hits to win it.  
 
UP NEXT
Concordia returns to the Twin Cities to take on Minnesota Crookston on Friday, April 13^th at the West St. Paul Dome. This doubleheader was scheduled to be played on the road, but the weather forecast has forced the two teams to move the game indoors. First pitch is set for 10 a.m. Live stats and a live video stream will be provided, with links available on the schedule page.