ST. PAUL, Minn. – This weekend marks the last road trip of the regular season for the Concordia-St. Paul softball team (23-17, 8-10 NSIC), as they travel to Northern State and MSU Moorhead before finishing the regular season schedule with a six-game homestand.  
 
LAST TIME OUT
Most recently, the Golden Bears played two more contests in the West St. Paul Dome, splitting with the Sioux Falls Cougars. The Golden Bears were edged 5-3 in the first game, before rallying to take game two 8-1.
 
In game one, the CSP offense struggled, tallying only four hits throughout the seven innings. After giving up a grand slam in the top of the first, the Bears answered when Nicole Thompson hit a two-run shot over the right field fence to cut the Sioux Falls lead in half. Haley Schanks drove in Thompson later in the game, but the Cougars hit another homer in the fifth and went on to win it 5-3.
 
The offense arrived in the second game and right-hander Aryka Knoche threw a two-hitter as the Bears cruised to an 8-1 victory. Concordia got off to a fast start, using four hits and four walks to score five runs in the first inning. Schanks and Knoche each drove in a run in the second and the Bears tacked on another run in the third inning to put the game out of reach. The Cougars got one back in the fourth, but were unable to get past Knoche as she did not allow a runner to pass second base in the final three innings.
 
Thompson and Justine Schattner each tallied three hits during the doubleheader, as Thompson drove in two runs on her first career home run and Schattner recorded an RBI and a stolen base. Knoche, in addition to pitching a two-hitter, drove in two runs hitting two doubles in the contest.  
 
NORTHERN SERIES HISTORY
Against Northern State, the Bears own an impressive 32-8 record, winning every matchup from 2000 to 2010, starting off the series 27-0. The Wolves have been more successful lately, winning the last three doubleheaders. When playing in Aberdeen, the Bears hold a 10-3 record and last defeated Northern State on the road in 2014 when they won two close games, 3-1 and 3-2.
 
LAST MEETING WITH NSU
In their most recent doubleheader, the Wolves came away with two wins, winning the first game 11-4 and the second game 1-0.
 
In game one, Northern State outhit Concordia 12-6, including hitting two home runs. The Bears got on the board first with a three-run first inning, but the Wolves answered, scoring five runs between the second and third innings and were able to hold onto the lead from there, adding six more runs before the game was over. After tallying three hits in the first inning, CSP could not get anything going, being held to three hits for the next six innings. Liz Jarosz had two of the team's six hits, hitting a double in the first to drive in Hart and homering in the sixth to end with two RBIs.
 
The Bears held an 8-5 advantage in hits in the second game, but it was the Wolves who were able to get a run across in the fifth, that allowed them to win 1-0. CSP had many chances throughout the game, including having two runners on in the seventh, leaving nine total runners on base. Schattner, Emily Shinn, and Sarah Kivisto all had two hits in the game, and Samantha Sullivan, despite giving up no earned runs, took the loss in the circle.
 
MSU MOORHEAD SERIES HISTORY
The Bears began playing the Dragons in 2000 and have compiled a 34-8 record against MSU Moorhead since then. In the last ten years, CSP has won 19 of the last 21 contests, including winning the last five matchups. When playing in Moorhead, the Bears are 6-2, and they haven't travelled to Moorhead since 2011, when they won both games of the doubleheader.
 
LAST MEETING WITH MSUM
CSP has already played the Dragons twice this season, facing them in the Dragon Beaver Bash that took place in February in the West St. Paul Dome. The Bears won both games, finishing both in five innings with 8-0 and 13-2 scores.
 
In their first meeting, the Bears racked up 14 hits and scored in four different innings to earn the victory. Thompson and freshman Cam Veenbaas both went 3-3 at the plate and Lily Langevin went 2-2. Knoche threw a two-hitter while striking out eight MSUM batters to record her first shutout as a Golden Bear.
 
The offense was an active one in their second matchup as well, as ten different CSP players tallied 16 hits on their way to their season-high in runs, with 13. Hart and Schattner led the way, as Hart went 4-5 with two runs and three RBIs and Schattner went 2-2 with a home run and four RBIs. Sullivan earned the win on the mound, giving up two runs on six hits. Kali Kaestner pitched the final inning to seal the victory.   
 
CONFERENCE LEADERS
Throughout the season, the Golden Bears have had players rank near the top of the league in several different statistical categories, as well as being ranked nationally.
 
Carlie Hart leads the NSIC in hits with 66, which ranks third in the country. The junior centerfielder also ranks sixth in the NSIC in batting average (.437), third in runs scored (40), 12^th in on-base percentage (.470), sixth in doubles (11), fourth in triples (4), second in total bases (94), and second in stolen bases (21).
 
Nicole Thompson ranks third in the NSIC in hits with 61, which is 14^th most in the nation. Thompson is also ranked as the eighth toughest in the country to strike out, as she has only struck out twice in 139 at-bats. The senior also sits as fifth in the NSIC in batting average (.439), tenth in on-base average (.480), and fourth in stolen bases (19).
 
Sophomore pitcher Aryka Knoche ranks third in the NSIC in batters struck out, at 83, and is tied for seventh in number of wins, with 11.
 
Kali Kaestner ranks 13^th in the NSIC in ERA (2.96) and is tenth in opposing batting average (.245).
 
HIT STREAKS
Centerfielder Hart owns the longest hit streak so far this season, with a hit in 21 straight games. The junior also has had 21 games with multiple hits, which is the most of any Golden Bear so far this season.
 
Thompson owns the second longest hit streak, as she has had at least one hit in the past 18 games. Earlier in the season, Knoche had a 17-game hit streak, and Hannah Carlson was the final CSP player to reach a double-digit hit streak, at ten games.
 
REACHING 200
On April 11^th, Nicole Thompson recorded her 200^th career hit in game one of their doubleheader against Upper Iowa. Thompson, who currently holds the highest career batting average, at .403, became the seventh CSP player to ever pass the 200-hit mark and now is sixth in career hits with 212.