ST. PAUL, Minn. – On a beautiful sunny day at Carlander Field, the Concordia-St. Paul softball team (26-18, 13-11 NSIC) improved their home record to 5-1 with a sweep of Minnesota Crookston (13-35, 2-22 NSIC). The Golden Bears battled their way to a 7-5 win in the first game, before cruising to a 14-4 five-inning win in game two.
 
The Bears had a strong offense in both games, recording over 10 hits in each contest to hit for a solid .448 average. Senior Justine Schattner led the way hitting for a remarkable .875 average, going 7-8 with two doubles, four RBIs, and five runs.
 
Senior Carlie Hart also hit well at the plate, going 4-7 with a triple, four runs, and a pair of stolen bases. Hart is now tied with current CSP coach Katie Anderson in career hits with 247, which is only two away from breaking Anna Bjorlin's record.
 
Junior Hannah Carlson almost matched her seven-RBI performance from yesterday against Bemidji State, driving in six runs in today's games, which led all CSP players. Carlson had three hits on the day, including two home runs.
 
GAME 1: CONCORDIA-ST. PAUL 7, MINNESOTA CROOKSTON 5
The first game went back-and-forth before Concordia added two runs in the sixth that would prove to be the difference in the Bears' 7-5 win. Each team had 11 hits in the game, but CSP also took advantage of two UMC errors as well as three walks.
 
Schattner paced the offense in game one, going 3-4 while also driving in almost half of the team's runs with three RBIs. Hart and freshman Katie Carlson also had multiple hit games.
 
Junior Samantha Sullivan started on the mound for the Golden Bears pitching the first four innings, giving up five runs on eight hits while striking out four. Teammate Kali Kaestner came in for the final three innings, allowing no runs on three hits and striking out three batters.
 
The first two UMC batters opened the game with a walk and a single to put pressure on CSP early. The cleanup hitter, Rocky Bjorge, then doubled which gave the Golden Eagles a 1-0 lead. Sullivan pitched out of the inning, though, striking out a batter and forcing a groundout to third.
 
The Golden Bears got their own rally going in the bottom of the inning, scoring three runs on four hits. Hart singled, stole second, and advanced to third on a groundout to start the inning, putting herself in scoring position to score easily when Schattner singled to center. Hannah Carlson doubled to score Schattner and would score herself when Katie Carlson singled to right center. This was all the Bears would get in the inning, though, leaving the bases loaded.
 
Minnesota Crookston tied it up in the third inning, getting a run across on a groundout and on a single to centerfield. They also scored again the following inning, hitting a solo home run to make it 4-3 in their favor.
 
CSP would bounce back from this deficit to score two runs of their own in the bottom of the fourth. Hart tripled and scored on a bunt single from Kris McIntyre to tie it up at four runs each. McIntyre then stole second and scored on a hit from Schattner, putting CSP up 5-4.
 
The Golden Eagles hit another home run in the fifth inning to once again make it tied, this time at 5-5. Concordia reclaimed the lead in the bottom of the sixth, however, and would keep it for good this time. Schattner drove in her third run of the game in the inning to put the Bears up by one and they added an insurance run when Schattner scored on a single from Katie Carlson.
 
 UMC put up a fight in the seventh, getting two runners on with only one out, but Kaestner got them out of the inning, recording two groundouts to earn the 7-5 decision.
 
GAME 2: CONCORDIA-ST. PAUL 14, MINNESOTA CROOKSTON 4 (5 INNINGS)
The Golden Bears came out ready to play in game two, taking a quick 6-0 lead and did not look back from there, going on to win 14-4 in five innings. This was the team's second run-rule victory of the weekend and their fifth of the season.
 
Concordia held a 15-4 edge in hits in the contest, which was the 19^th time this season that the Bears have recorded 10 hits or more in a game and the sixth time that they have reached at least 15 hits.
 
Schattner once again had an impressive outing at the plate, going 4-4 with three runs scored and an RBI. The Wisconsin native had plenty of support, though, as Hart, McIntyre, Hannah Carlson, and Cam Veenbaas all chipped in with two hits each.
 
Kaestner pitched the majority of the game for the Golden Bears, earning her fourth win of the weekend. She went 4.2 innings, giving up two runs on two hits while striking out four. Kaestner has given up five hits or less in each of her past five starts. Sophomore Hanna Mortenson pitched the other 0.1 inning, giving up two runs on one hit and four walks.
 
The Bears opened the scoring in a big way in the first inning, unloading for seven hits to score six runs. The inning featured five extra-base hits, including home runs from both Hannah Carlson and sophomore Amanda Parsons.
 
CSP threatened again in the second, loading the bases, but were held scoreless until the following inning when they tacked on four more runs. McIntyre and Schattner both doubled in the inning and Hannah Carlson homered again to put the Bears up 10-0.
 
Minnesota Crookston got on the board in the top of the fourth, hitting a two-run home run to make it 10-2. The Bears also scored in the fourth when Veenbaas doubled and was driven in by a single from Hart putting them up 11-2.
 
The Golden Eagles scored twice more in the fifth inning on a hit and four walks, which extended the game. In the bottom of the inning, Schattner led off with a single and Hannah Carlson also reached. Mortenson then hit her sixth home run of the year to end the game in five innings, giving CSP the 14-4 win.
 
Concordia enters the final week of regular season play with a 13-11 record in the NSIC, which is good for a tie for sixth place. The Bears will face Southwest Minnesota State on Wednesday before playing their final home games against MSU Moorhead and Northern State on the weekend.