MARSHALL, Minn. – The Concordia-St. Paul softball team (28-18, 15-11 NSIC) won their fifth and sixth games in a row, sweeping Southwest Minnesota State (17-21, 12-14 NSIC) on Wednesday afternoon in Marshall. This is the Golden Bears' longest winning streak so far this season.
 
It was a historic day for senior Carlie Hart, as she became Concordia's all-time leader in both career hits and career runs. The Lake Elmo native had a home run and a single in the first game of the doubleheader, which as all she needed to break Anna Bjorlin's record that was set in 2010. She now has 251 career hits. Hart scored once in the first game, on her homer, and then also scored again in game two to become the new leader in runs as well with 162 career runs scored.
 
With a pair of steals in the second game of the doubleheader, Hart also broke the single-season steal record, which was set by Natalie Mast in 2008.
 
With the wins, the Golden Bears surpassed their total conference wins from last season (13), winning the most NSIC games since the 2013 season, with four regular season games still left to play.
 
Hart led all CSP hitters in the doubleheader, going 4-8 with three runs, two RBIs, and two stolen bases. Sophomore Cam Veenbaas continued to hit well for the Golden Bears as well, tallying three hits, including two doubles, and scoring twice as well as driving in a run. Amanda Parsons and Kris McIntyre each chipped in with two hits apiece on the day.
 
GAME 1: CONCORDIA-ST. PAUL 3, SOUTHWEST MINNESOTA STATE 1
The Golden Bears started the day with a 3-1 win over the Mustangs, with junior Samantha Sullivan pitching her ninth complete game of the season.
 
Southwest Minnesota State held a 9-5 edge in hits in the game, but the Bears overcame this disadvantage, stranding eight Mustang runners on base, including a runner in the fifth and three runners in the sixth.
 
Hart led the offense, going 2-4 with a pair of RBIs. McIntyre, Katie Carlson, and Veenbaas had the other hits in the game for CSP, with McIntyre driving in the other run.
 
Sullivan improved to 11-8 on the season with the win, giving up only one run in her seven innings pitched, despite allowing nine hits. The right-hander struck out seven batters in the outing, and now has 100 strikeouts on the year, reaching the 100 mark for the first time in her career. This was Sullivan's seventh start of the season allowing only one run or less.
 
Both teams left two runners on base in the first inning with McIntyre and Justine Schattner reaching for the Golden Bears and SMSU hitting back-to-back singles. Neither team was able to get any runs across, though, and the game remained tied at zero.
 
Veenbaas opened the third inning with a double for Concordia and would score when Hart hit an inside-the-park home run. This was Hart's fifth homer of the year. SMSU attempted to answer in the bottom of the inning when Bailey Johnson, who went 2-4 for the Mustangs, hit a double to left field. The Bears did not allow her to score, though, as Schattner recorded the last out in the inning.
 
Each team scored in the fifth. Freshman Emma Adamek led off the inning with a walk and advanced to second on a groundout. She then moved up to third on a single from Hart and scored when McIntyre grounded out to the shortstop.
 
The Mustangs used a single, a stolen base, and a triple to score their run, doing all of this with two outs. This made it 3-1 heading into the final two innings. In the sixth, SMSU threatened to take over the lead, hitting three singles to load the bases. Sullivan pitched out of the jam, with a strike out and a groundout to preserve the Concordia lead.
 
The Bears retired the Mustangs in order in the seventh, having to face the top of the SMSU lineup, to earn the win.
 
GAME 2: CONCORDIA-ST. PAUL 7, SOUTHWEST MINNESOTA STATE 2
Concordia got more offense going in the nightcap, outhitting the Mustangs 9-7 while also capitalizing on two SMSU errors to claim their third straight NSIC sweep. CSP scored in four different innings in the game and pitcher Kali Kaestner held SMSU to only two runs to produce her fifth win in the past six games.
 
Six different CSP players had at least one hit in the game with Hart, Parsons, and Veenbaas all recording two hits apiece. McIntyre drove in a team-high two runs in the game, while also getting a hit, scoring a run, and stealing a base.
 
Kaestner pitched all seven innings for the Golden Bears, giving up seven hits and striking out four batters. This was Kaestner's sixth complete game of the season and her record improved to 9-4 with the win.
 
Hart got the Bears on the board in the first inning, hitting a single up the middle and stealing second. She advanced to third on a groundout which allowed her to score when Schattner hit a groundout to first base.
 
The Mustangs answered with two runs of their own in the bottom of the inning, collecting three hits to get their runs across. This, however, is the only time they would score as Kaestner held them scoreless through the next six innings of play.
 
Concordia tied the game up in the second inning when Veenbaas drove in Parsons to make it 2-2. It would remain tied until the sixth, when Hannah Carlson led off the inning with a double down the left field line. Sophomore Meagan Bliese came in to pinch run for Carlson and scored when Parsons singled to right field.
 
The Bears would go on to add some insurance runs in the top of the seventh, scoring four runs on four hits and an SMSU error. Veenbaas started the rally with a double and Hart followed that up with a single and then stole second. They would both score when McIntyre singled up the middle. McIntyre would also get across, scoring on an error by the first baseman. Schattner, who had advanced to third on the error, was able to score on a Parson's groundout, putting CSP up 7-2.
 
Southwest Minnesota State got their own rally going in the bottom of the inning, getting their first two runners on base. Kaestner and the defense held strong, though, as they recorded the final three outs without letting even one run cross the plate.
 
The Golden Bears will look to add to their longest winning streak of the season this weekend when they close out the regular season with doubleheaders against MSU Moorhead and Northern State. Check the schedule page for details and any potential changes due to weekend weather.