ST. PAUL, Minn. – After playing their first seven games indoors, the Concordia-St. Paul softball team (3-4) will finally have the opportunity to play outside, as they travel to Florida at the end of the week for the Spring Games. This is the third straight year that the Golden Bears will play games in Florida, but unlike the past two seasons, the Spring Games will be the team's first games outdoors.
TOURNAMENT INFORMATION
The Golden Bears will face ten different opponents at a combination of three different complexes. The team opens their games at the Osceola Complex, playing their first four games at these fields. Their next two games, on March 5
th, will be played at the Hancock Recreational Complex. The Bears then return to the Osceola Complex for their next two games on March 7
th and end the trip with a pair of games at the Sleepy Hollow Sports Complex on March 8
th. The team's full schedule can be found here:
https://cspbears.com/schedule.aspx?path=softball
Live stats will be available for all of Concordia's games. The link can be found at the top of the page, or on the schedule page.
More information on the Spring Games can be found at
http://www.thespringgames.com/
LAST TIME OUT
Due to the Emporia Classic in Kansas being cancelled because of poor weather, CSP played three dome games this past week instead, dropping two tight games with Minnesota Duluth and falling 1-0 to Upper Iowa.
In their first matchup with UMD, the Golden Bears rallied for three runs in the seventh inning, but it was not enough to overcome the 6-2 deficit that CSP had brought into the inning, as the Bulldogs recorded the last out to win 6-5. Highlights of the game include senior
Justine Schattner hitting a two-run home run in the first inning and junior
Hannah Carlson going 2-4 with a pair of RBIs.
Aryka Knoche and
Carlie Hart also had multiple hits in the game.
In the second game of the doubleheader, Concordia saw a 2-0 lead slip away in the later part of the game, as Minnesota Duluth rallied for a 4-2 win. The Golden Bears scored a run in each of the first two innings, but were then held to only one more hit throughout the next five innings. The Bulldogs scored two runs in the fourth and added a run in both the sixth and seventh innings to secure the win.
Friday's game with Upper Iowa was a pitcher's duel, as neither team recorded more than four hits on the day. The Peacocks managed to get a run across in the third inning as a triple was followed by an infield single that got the runner home. The one run was all they would need, going on to win 1-0. Hart,
Makenna Giese, and
Hanna Mortenson all tallied hits for CSP.
THE OPPONENTS
Sunday, March 3
rd
THE UNIVERSITY OF THE SCIENCES (PA.)
This will be the first meeting between the Golden Bears and the University of the Sciences. The Devils have yet to play a game this season, as their opening games scheduled for this past weekend were cancelled. U of the Sciences has a relatively young roster, as over half of their players are freshman and sophomores.
CLARION (PA.)
The Golden Bears own a 2-0 record against Clarion, posting a 9-1 win in 2010 and a 9-0 win in 2017. Both games were played in March in Florida. The Golden Eagles are 0-6 on the year, playing in the February Freeze Out at Myrtle Beach, South Carolina. Most recently, the team fell to Southern New Hampshire, 11-0 in five innings.
Monday, March 4
th
MALONE (OHIO)
CSP has never faced Malone before this season and the Spring Games will be the first games for the Pioneers this year. In 2018, the team posted a 15-19 record.
CEDARVILLE (OHIO)
The Golden Bears faced off with Cedarville last season in Florida, as the Yellow Jackets went away with a 5-0 win. Both the Bears and the Jackets tallied ten hits in the game, but Cedarville took advantage of five walks and two CSP errors to earn the victory. So far, the Yellow Jackets are 2-0 on the season with a pair of wins over Quincy.
Tuesday, March 5
th
BLOOMFIELD (N.J.)
This will be the first meeting between the Golden Bears and Bloomfield. The Bloomfield Bears went 11-23 last season and have not played any games so far this season.
ST. ROSE (N.Y.)
The Bears will face the Golden Knights for the first time on March 5
th. St. Rose produced a 13-26 record last season and will play their first games later this week, as they arrive in Florida on Thursday, February 28
th.
Thursday, March 7
th
TREVECCA NAZARENE (TENN.)
This will be the first meeting between Concordia and Trevecca Nazarene. The Trojans are 4-3 in their first seven games so far this year, after owning a 30-17-1 record in the 2018 season. Trevecca Nazarene has won their last two contests, defeating Rockhurst, 13-8, and Missouri University of Science and Technology, 9-5. The team will have two more games before traveling to Florida.
CONCORDIA (N.Y.)
The Bears have yet to matchup with Concordia (N.Y.) and the Clippers will not play until March 6
th in Florida. Last season, the Clippers ended the year with an 8-24 record.
Friday, March 8
th
ALDERSON BROADDUS (W. VA.)
This will be the first matchup between the Golden Bears and the Battlers. Alderson Broaddus is 0-2 so far on the season, as they dropped their season-opening doubleheader against Newberry. Last year, the team was 5-35 throughout the season. The Battlers will have a doubleheader with Glenville State before heading down to Florida.
SETON HILL (PA.)
The Golden Bears will meet Seton Hill in Florida for the third time in program history. CSP won a 4-2 decision in 2012, but fell in last year's matchup, 4-1. Last season, the Griffons held a 9-5 advantage in hits and scored two runs on a CSP error on their way to the victory. This season, the Griffons are 2-0 to start the year, sweeping Wheeling Jesuit, by scores of 8-0 and 7-6.
TEAM LEADERS
Through the team's first seven games, senior
Justine Schattner is leading the team in batting average (.364) and RBIs (5). Junior
Aryka Knoche and senior
Carlie Hart are not far behind Schattner, as they both are also hitting over .300.
In the circle, both
Samantha Sullivan and
Kali Kaestner have ERAs under 2.0, with Sullivan posting a team-best 1.19 ERA. Kaestner, who has a 1.27 ERA, has posted the lowest opponent batting average, holding teams to a .195 average in her 11 innings pitched.
After returning from Florida, the Golden Bears will have one more non-conference tournament to gear up for the NSIC season. The team will travel to the Hy-Vee Classic in St. Joseph, Missouri, taking on five in-region opponents. The conference schedule opens on March 26
th, when Concordia faces Minnesota State in Mankato.
