MANKATO, Minn. - The Concordia-St. Paul softball team (17-4-1, 0-2 NSIC) opened Northern Sun play on Tuesday at the Maverick All-Sport Dome against #15 Minnesota State (20-6, 2-0 NSIC), falling in a pair of closely played games, 4-0 and 1-0.

Concordia had the bases loaded in the fifth inning of game one, facing a 1-0 deficit in a 4-0 loss before MSU hit a walk-off single in the bottom of the seventh inning of 1-0 CSP loss in game two for the sweep.

The Golden Bears continue play against nationally-ranked NSIC opposition this weekend, currently scheduled to host Wayne State (3-20, 0-2 NSIC) on Saturday and #7 Augustana (18-5, 2-0 NSIC) on Sunday at Carlander Field with a noon first pitch each day. Game time and location are subject to change.

GAME 1: MSU 4, CSP 0
Freshman left handed starting pitcher Erica McCullough held her own against one of the top pitchers in the country through the early part of the 2022 season, limiting the balanced Maverick bats to just one run through the first four innings of play.

The CSP bats needed a spin through the order to get acclimated to MSU ace Mackenzie Ward, who registered strikeouts on 11 of her first 12 outs and was perfect into the top of the inning.

Trailing 1-0 and facing a red-hot pitcher, CSP senior catcher Amanda Parsons pounced on the first pitch of the fifth inning and delivered a single to right field, ending the perfect game bid by Ward and putting the go-ahead run in the batter's box as the game entered the later innings. It was the start of a rally against Ward, as Jacey Defries followed by drawing a walk after facing a 1-2 count against the potent strikeout artist. After a strikeout, Annalise Scamehorn stepped into the box ready to swing, and after a swinging strike and a foul ball, she delivered a single up the middle to load the bases with one out. Ward then returned to her work from the first four innings, inducing a pair of swinging strikeouts to end the threat.

With a 1-run lead, MSU looked to execute following a leadoff walk in the bottom of the fifth, and a pair of sacrifice bunts turned into baserunners, and runs, with a pair of CSP fielding errors in what turned into a 3-run inning for the Mavericks, offering Ward a 4-0 lead and insurance against a Golden Bear lineup that began to square her up in the fifth.

Concordia continued to find success against Ward in the sixth, with leadoff hitter Clara Heislen starting things with a 5-pitch walk, advancing to third on Alexus Houston's double to center field, giving Concordia runners on second and third with no outs. Ward once again answered, retiring the next three hitters, CSP's 3-4-5 in the lineup, to preserve the lead.

The Golden Bears once again threatened in the seventh, with Scamehorn hittin ga 1-out double the opposite way down the left field line, with Ward once again stifling the CSP threat with runners in scoring position.

In the final three innings, CSP left five runners in scoring position and six on base while the Mavericks scratched out their three runs in the fifth inning with the benefit of just one hit.

McCullough had a strong performance on a big stage, allowing two earned runs (four total) across 5.0 innings of work, allowing four hits and striking out five. She was relieved by Kristi Pilz in the sixth, who struck out a pair in her shutout frame.

The CSP pitchers were out-dueled by Mackenzie Ward, who improved to 13-2 with the shutout, striking out 16 Golden Bears, who produced four hits and two walks against her, all in the last three innings including two extra-base hits.

Scamehorn went 2-for-3 with a double, Houston was 1-3 with a double and Parsons was 1-3.

GAME 2: MSU 1, CSP 0
In game two, Concordia turned to its ace, sophomore right hander Bryanna Olson, who entered the game with wins in 11 straight decisions including four saves after an opening day 1-run loss. She continued her impressive run in the circle, blanking Minnesota State for the first six innings on just two hits with seven strikeouts. She didn't let multiple Mavericks reach base in any of the first six frames and only three advanced into scoring position.

Offensively, Concordia put two on first and second base in the first and sixth innings and had at least a runner on base in all but one of the first six frames.

In the seventh, the Golden Bears went down in order for just the second time in game two while the Mavericks put their leadoff hitter on base for the first time all game with a single. A sacrifice bunt put the winning run in scoring position against Olson with one out, with pinch hitter Ellie Tallman delivering the game-winning RBI single up the middle for the sweep.

Olson took just her second loss of the season, both by 1-run, falling to 11-2. She worked 6.1 innings, allowing a run on four hits with seven strikeouts and just one walk.

Maverick reliever Katie Bracken secured the win, pitching 1-hit ball for the final 3.0 innings, also issuing a walk to improve to 5-2.

Amanda Parsons went 2-3 and Sydney Pelzer went 1-2 with a walk to lead the CSP hitters.