ST. JOSEPH, Mo. - Concordia-St. Paul softball (5-5) opened up the 2021 Hy-Vee Classic with a 3-0 victory over Missouri Western (11-2) on Saturday night. Pitching was the dominant factor in the game as CSP had their starter go the distance and the Griffons only had two pitchers in the circle all game. 

The Golden Bears will now travel to Warrensburg Missouri for the remaining four games of the Hy-Vee Classic. CSP will be back in action tomorrow morning as they take on Central Missouri at 10 a.m. and Northeastern State (Okla.) at 4 p.m. To round out the Hy-Vee Classic, they will play those exact same teams, scheduled for the exact same times on Sunday.  

Bryanna Olson tossed a complete game shutout victory and Aryka Knoche led the team with two hits while driving in two runs in the victory. 

Concordia-St. Paul 3, Missouri Western 0
The Golden Bears got off to a hot start in the first inning. Clara Heislen walked to lead off the inning and then stole second base. After Kris McIntyre flew out to right field, Grace Beseman doubled to center field which drove in Heislen to give Concordia a 1-0 lead. Aryka Knoche stepped to the plate with Beseman on second and two down in the first. Knoche singled through the left side, scoring Beseman and giving CSP a 2-0 lead over the Griffons.
 
Missouri Western put together a threat of their own in the bottom of the first inning. Sydni Hawkins led off the inning with a single, Bryanna Olson was able to get the next two batters on a fly out to center and a pop out to first. Chloe Armstrong then singled through the left side which advanced Hawkins to third base. With runners on first and third, Olson pitched out of the jam when a ground ball resulted in Armstrong being tagged out while trying to head to second base. 
 
After a one-two-three second inning, the Golden Bears tacked on another run in the top of the third inning. Kris McIntyre walked with one out in the inning, then Grace Beseman reached on a fielder's choice when McIntyre was out at second on a 5-4. Amanda Parsons would reach on an error by the shortstop which sent Beseman to second base. With runners on first and second, Aryka Knoche came through again with an RBI single up the middle, scoring Beseman and making it 3-0 Golden Bears. 
 
Missouri Western made a push in the bottom of the sixth inning. Bryanna Olson got the first batter out on a fly ball to right field. Sydni Hawkins singled to short and Brea Blanton singled to left field, sending Hawkins to second base, setting up a great opportunity for the Griffons with runners on first and second with only one out. Bryanna Olson made a perfect pitch to Emma Hoffart as she grounded into an inning ending double play, preserving CSP's 3-0 lead heading into the seventh inning.
 
After a quick top of the seventh inning for CSP, Bryanna Olson looked to set down the Griffons in the bottom of the seventh. After a one out single, Olson got a fly out and a groundout back to herself as she poetically put away the Griffon's herself and secured her complete game shutout victory. Olson tallied four strikeouts in her seven innings of work. She allowed only five hits and zero runs as she moved to 3-2 on the season. 
 
Aryka Knoche led the Golden Bear offense going 2-3 with two RBI's. Grace Beseman was 1-4 with an RBI and two runs scored. Hanna Mortenson went 1-3 and Clara Heislen scored a run in the Golden Bear victory.