WINTER HAVEN, Fla. - The Golden Bear softball team (6-5) blasted their way to two victories in their opening day of the Spring Games tournament in Florida. Concordia defeated Tiffin University (2-5) 17-9 in a game that saw five home runs by Concordia batters in a back and forth game between two powerful lineups slugging it out. Freshman
Grace Beseman hit two home runs and drove in seven in the big victory for Concordia. In game two the Golden Bears fell behind early but was able to put together some key hits in runners in scoring position and a great pitching performance by
Aryka Knoche sealed the 8-2 victory for the Golden Bears over Georgian Court (3-7).
Concordia's 17-9 victory was the most runs CSP has scored in a game since 2016 when the Golden Bears put up 25 runs on the Golden Eagles. The 17 runs are also tied for fifth in program history, Concordia also put up 17 runs against Bemidji State on May 5
th, 2006. The five home runs hit in the victory over the Dragons ties a program record. The only other time the Golden Bears hit five home runs in a game was against Fayetteville State in 2011.
GAME 1: CSP 17, TIFFIN UNIVERSITY 9
The Golden Bears got off to a hot start when
Clara Heislen hit a leadoff homerun on the second pitch, she saw from Dragons pitcher Sarah Klein. In the bottom of the first inning the Dragons would clap back when a leadoff single and a stolen base followed by an error would tie the game at 1-1.
In the top of the second inning Hannah Mortenson hit a two-run homerun to give CSP a 3-1 lead, it was her second home run of the season. Concordia would score eight runs in the third inning capped off by a
Grace Beseman grand slam for a 11-1 CSP lead. The Dragons would add one in the bottom of the third and in the top of the fourth Katie Carslon hit a homerun to make it 12-2. In the bottom of the fourth inning the Dragons would make it interesting when they tacked on seven runs on four hits to make it a 12-9 ball game.
In the top of the fifth inning the Golden Bears would put the game away when they scored five runs on four hits to make it a 17-9 game which would be the final score of the game. Beseman would highlight the inning again when she hit a three-run homerun, her second of the game.
Beseman led the Golden Bear offense going 2-3 with two home runs and seven runs batted in. Her two home runs in a game is tied for second all-time in program history and her seven RBIs are also tied for second all-time in program history for most RBIs in a single game.
Clara Heislen was 1-2 with two runs scored and a homerun,
Kris McIntyre went 2-4 with two RBIs,
Amanda Parsons was 2-2 with two RBIs,
Aryka Knoche went 2-2,
Katie Carlson went 2-2 with a homerun,
Hanna Mortenson went 1-2 with a two-run homerun and
Meagan Bliese went 2-3 with an RBI.
Bryanna Olson started the game for the Golden Bears, she went 3.1 innings, striking out five and allowing only one hit and six runs.
Samantha Sullivan worked 0.1 innings and
Kali Kaestner recorded her second victory of the season while working 1.1 innings, allowing only one hit and striking out one batter.
GAME 2: CSP 8, GEORGIAN COURT 2
It was a scoreless game as both pitchers were dueling, In the top of the third inning the Lions would strike first as it was a lead off bunt single and the runner advanced to second base on a throwing error. After a pop out and a strikeout it looked like the Golden Bears were going to get out of it but a single to right field would score the runner from second and the Lions took a 1-0 lead.
CSP would strike back in the bottom of the fourth inning and they never looked back,
Hanna Mortenson reached on an error,
Katie Carlson put down a sac bunt and the pinch runner
Ani Bell advanced to second base.
Meagan Bliese singled to center and advanced to second when Bell scored to tie the game. After
Clara Heislen was hit by a pitch,
Kris McIntyre lined out to left field and a throwing error brought home Bliese to give the Bears a 2-1 lead.
The Golden Bears added another run in the bottom of the fifth when
Hannah Carlson led off the inning with a homerun to left field. The Golden Bears would add on five more runs on five hits in the bottom of the sixth inning, highlighted by an
Amanda Parsons homerun and the Golden Bears took an 8-1 lead heading into the top of the seventh inning. The Lions would add on one more in the top of the seventh but
Aryka Knoche was dominant as she threw a complete game allowing only two runs on seven hits and striking out nine batters to capture her first victory of the season.
Hannah Carlson and
Hannah Mihalik led the offense for the Golden Bears as they each drove in two runs and Carlson hit a homerun in this game.
Clara Heislen was 2-3 with two stolen bases,
Amanda Parsons was 1-4 with an RBI,
Hanna Mortenson went 2-4,
Meagan Bliese was 2-3 with two runs scored, an RBI and a double.
The Golden Bears will be back in action bring and early tomorrow morning when they take on Saginaw Valley State at 9 a.m. and Cedarville at 11:15 a.m. Live stat links can be found on the teams schedule page.
