ST. PAUL, Minn. – The Concordia-St. Paul softball team (4-5) will hit the road for their last batch of non-conference games this weekend. CSP will take part in the Hy-Vee Softball Classic. Last season's Hy-Vee Classic was canceled due to the COVID-19 Pandemic. Concordia will play five non-conference opponents including two teams they have already faced earlier this month at the ESU-Classic. 

TOURNAMENT INFORMATION SCHEDULE CHANGE
Since this preview has been released there has been a schedule change for the Hy-Vee Classic this weekend. The Golden Bears will play their first game in St. Joseph Missouri against Missouri Western at 4 p.m. Then Concordia will be heading to Warrensburg Missouri for their remaining four games of the tournament.  CSP will take on Central Missouri at 10 a.m. on Saturday and then Northeastern State (Okla.) at 4 p.m. They will then play the same two team's, scheduled for the same times on Sunday in Warrensburg. Central Missouri at 10 a.m. and then Northeastern State (Okla.) again at 4 p.m. Live stats and live stream are still yet to be determined for the games this weekend. Follow @CSPBears on Twitter for score updates and final scores. Recaps and box scores will be posted by this website.

If there are any more changes to the upcoming games this weekend, keep checking this page for more details. 

LAST TIME OUT
The Golden Bears played in the ESU-Classic at the beginning of March going 3-2 in the tournament. The Golden Bears faced off with five different opponents in Emporia, including: Missouri-St. Louis, Emporia State, Missouri Southern, Quincy (Ill.), and Southwest Baptist (Mo.). 

MISSOURI-ST. LOUIS
CSP got off to a fast start in game one of the ESU-Classic. Center fielder Clara Heislen led off with a single, she was then driven in with an RBI double by senior Kris McIntyre to give Concordia a 1-0 lead. The Golden Bears displayed great two out hitting in the second inning. After two quick outs to start the inning, Meagan Bliese singled to center field and then Clara Heislen flexed her muscles with a two-run home run to give the Golden Bears a 3-0 lead over the Tritons. UMSL got themselves on the board in the top of the third inning. After two straight singles, Anna VanGundy scored on an error to make it a 3-1 game. After a failed stolen base attempt by Morgan Barnoski, she was caught in a run down between second and first, which caused Annie Scaramuzzi to score and make it a 3-2 ballgame. CSP would answer back in the bottom of the inning, Hanna Mortenson singled which scored Amanda Parsons and Taylor Griffin was able to score as well on a throwing error by the Tritons centerfielder to make it 5-2 Golden Bears. The Golden Bears plated one more run in the bottom of 5^th when Amanda Parsons tripled to lead off the inning and then scored on a sacrifice fly from Taylor Griffin. Senior Kali Kaestner was dominant in her complete game victory. Both of the Tritons' runs were unearned and she shut down UMSL for the last four innings of the game. She struck out eight batters on 105 pitches, walking one and allowing nine hits in her first victory of the season.  
 
EMPORIA STATE (KAN.)
Once again, the Golden Bears jumped out to an early lead, this time by a leadoff home run from Clara Heislen to give CSP a 1-0 lead in the first inning. CSP threatened with three more hits in the same inning but Kelsey Phillips and the Emporia defense splashed cold water on the Golden Bears threat. Emporia State responded in the bottom of the first. After a hit and a walk, Roni Raines drove in both runs with a two-run single up the middle to give the Hornets a 2-1 lead over CSP. It was a pitching duel the rest of the way as both Bryanna Olson and Kelsey Phillips put up zeros after the first inning. The Hornets were able to get to Olson for another run in the bottom of the sixth inning when Roni Raines hit a leadoff home run to give Emporia a 3-1 lead over Concordia. The Golden Bears could not strike up a rally after Emma Lero's two out pinch hit double in the top of the seventh inning, and the Hornets closed out the game and defeated CSP 3-1.  

MISSOURI SOUTHERN
In a back-and-forth battle with the Lions, the Golden Bears found themselves on top once the dust settled. Once again it was Clara Heislen who got things started with a leadoff home run to give the Golden Bears a 1-0 lead in the bottom of the first. After the home run Kris McIntyre was hit by a pitch and advanced to third base on a fielder's choice by Grace Beseman who advanced to second on an error by the pitcher. With runners on second and third, Amanda Parsons knocked in McIntyre with an RBI single to make it 2-0 CSP. The Lions got on the board with a solo shot by Ashlynn Williams in the top of the second inning. Missouri Southern took the lead in the top of the fourth inning when a single and a couple of walks led to Leighton Withers reaching on a fielder's choice and an error which caused two runs to score to make it 3-2 Lions. The Golden Bears answered in the bottom of the fourth inning as Aryka Knoche homered to lead off the inning to make it a 3-3 ballgame. The Lions retook the lead in the top of the sixth inning when Ashlynn Williams homered for her second home run of the game to make it 4-3 Missouri Southern. After a quick bottom of the sixth and top of the seventh inning the Golden Bears found themselves trailing in the bottom of the seventh. Taylor Griffin singled with one out which was followed by a single by Meagan Bliese to put runners on second and first with one out. Alexus Houston came into the game pinch run for Taylor Griffin at second base. Clara Heislen singled to score Houston to tie the game 4-4. Kris McIntyre hit a sacrifice fly to score Bliese and win the game for the Golden Bears, 5-4. 

QUINCY (ILL.)
It was a pitching duel in the second game of the night. Kali Kaestner and MacKenzie Collier were locked in a battle as they each pitched seven innings. Collier allowed only three hits and struck out four Golden Bears in her shutout victory. Kaestner struck out five, allowed one walk on eight hits and one run while facing 30 Hawk batters. After two scoreless innings, the Hawks jumped on the board in the top of the third inning after a fielder's choice by Bailey Mitchell, Jayle Jennings singled to move Mitchell to second. Then Kari Sarhage singled to left center to drive in Mitchell to give the Hawks a 1-0 lead, which would be the final score of the game. 
 
SOUTHWEST BAPTIST (MO.)
CSP got off to a hot start right from the beginning of the game. In the first inning, Kris McIntyre reached on an error and then stole second base. Grace Beseman singled to right field and advanced to second base on the throw and McIntyre advanced to third. Amanda Parsons had an RBI groundout, scoring McIntyre and advancing Beseman to third. Freshman Taylor Griffin doubled to right field, scoring Beseman and giving CSP a 2-0 lead. The Bearcats would answer in the top of the second inning when Rylee Lunn hit a two-run double to left field to tie the game at 2-2. The Bearcats rally was short lived as CSP answered with four runs in the bottom of the second inning. Hanna Mortenson reached on a fielder's choice and then stole second base. Clara Heislen singled to left field, advancing Mortenson to third base. Then some trickery was done by the Golden Bears as they executed a double steal. Mortenson scored by stealing home and Heislen swiped second base to make it 3-2 CSP. Kris McIntyre singled to right field, scoring Heislen to make it 4-2. Beseman knocked in McIntyre with an RBI double to center and Taylor Griffin singled to center to score Beseman and make it 6-2 Golden Bears. Southwest Baptist closed the gap in the top of the third inning as Nicole Hortsman hit a two-run single to left field to make it a 6-4 ball game. Concordia tacked on two more runs in the bottom of the third inning as Maegan Bliese hit a home run and then right after that, Annalise Scamehorn pinch hit for Clara Heislen and she hit a home run to make it 8-4 Concordia. After a quick top of the fourth inning, CSP tacked on three more runs with a three-run home run from Hanna Mortenson, her first of the season to make it 11-4 Golden Bears. After a quick top of the fifth, Payton Hanson pinch hit for McIntyre and she singled to left field. Grace Beseman stepped up and sent the Golden Bears home with a two-run home run to left-center field to make it 13-4 which would be the final score due to the eight-run mercy rule.

THE HY-VEE CLASSIC OPPONENTS

Friday, March 19th
MISSOURI WESTERN
CSP lost to Missouri Western, 7-3 in their lone matchup last season. Concordia holds an 8-15 all-time record against the host school and have lost 12 straight against the Griffons. The last victory for CSP over the Griffons was on 3/23/2007 when Concordia won 8-5. The Griffons currently hold a 11-1 record this season and have won six straight games. Missouri Western will play St. Cloud State, and Winona State before taking on CSP in the Hy-Vee Classic.

Saturday, March 20^th
CENTRAL MISSOURI
CSP defeated Central Missouri, 6-4 in their previous matchup back in 2019. Concordia holds an 3-8 all-time record against the Jennies and have gone 2-2 in their last four matchups. Central Missouri currently holds a 8-2 record this season and have won four straight games. The Jennies will play Sioux Falls in a double header on Friday before taking on CSP both Saturday and Sunday in the Hy-Vee Classic. 
 
NORTHEASTERN STATE (OKLA.)
This will be only the second matchup between the Golden Bears and the RiverHawks. NSU defeated the Golden Bears 12-2 in their lone matchup back in 2017 in Bentonville, Arkansas. The RiverHawks are currently 12-6 and are 6-2 in the month of March. Their only two losses so far this month was to Central Oklahoma in a doubleheader.  

Sunday, March 21^st
CENTRAL MISSOURI
CSP defeated Central Missouri, 6-4 in their previous matchup back in 2019. Concordia holds an 3-8 all-time record against the Jennies and have gone 2-2 in their last four matchups. Central Missouri currently holds a 8-2 record this season and have won four straight games. The Jennies will play Sioux Falls in a double header on Friday before taking on CSP both Saturday and Sunday in the Hy-Vee Classic. 

NORTHEASTERN STATE (OKLA.)
This will be only the second matchup between the Golden Bears and the RiverHawks. NSU defeated the Golden Bears 12-2 in their lone matchup back in 2017 in Bentonville, Arkansas. The RiverHawks are currently 12-6 and are 6-2 in the month of March. Their only two losses so far this month was to Central Oklahoma in a doubleheader.  

TEAM LEADERS
Clara Heislen continues to lead the Golden Bear offense with a .448 batting average, 13 hits in 29 at-bats. She also leads the team with nine RBI's and four home runs with a double and is tied for the team lead with seven runs scored. She is posting a .897 slugging percentage, a .484 on-base percentage and a perfect 1.000 fielding percentage and is 3-3 in stolen bases. Freshman Taylor Griffin is second on the team with a .318 batting average, seven hits in 22 at-bats. She has driven in four RBI's which is tied for third on the team, she is tied for first on the team with one double, and she has scored four runs. She holds a .364 slugging percentage and a .333 on-base percentage and a .969 fielding percentage. Grace Beseman is batting .296 with eight hits in 27 at-bats. She is second on the team with two home runs and five RBI's. she is second on the team with five runs scored and has a .556 slugging percentage with a .321 on-base percentage. Amanda Parsons is carrying a .292 batting average with seven hits in 24 at-bats. She leads the team with one triple and is tied for third with four RBI's. She has a .417 slugging percentage and a .370 on-base percentage with a perfect 1.000 fielding percentage behind the dish. 

In the circle senior Kali Kaestner has appeared in five games and has made three starts and holds a 2-1 record while leading the team with a 2.78 ERA, two complete games, 22.2 innings pitched, and 18 strikeouts. Bryanna Olson has appeared in five games while making two starts and is 2-2 with a 3.00 ERA, 16 strikeouts in 16.1 innings pitched and leads the team with a .242 opponent batting average. Aryka Knoche has made four appearances with two starts and is 0-1 with a 4.90 ERA with 10 strikeouts in 10 innings of work. 

After returning from Missouri, the Golden Bears will jump into conference play with their home opener scheduled for March 30^th against Minnesota State at 2 p.m. and 4 p.m. at Carlander Field. CSP is scheduled to host UMary and Minot State on the weekend of April 2^nd-3^rd both doubleheaders are slated for a 12 and 2 p.m. start.