DULUTH, Minn. - A three-run fourth inning in game one and an eight-run sixth inning in game two led to a pair of losses for Concordia-St. Paul (23-8-1, 6-6 NSIC) on Sunday, falling 5-4 in game one and 9-2 in game two at Minnesota Duluth (23-10, 8-4 NSIC) at Malosky Stadium.

Concordia's challenging start to the Northern Sun season continues on Tuesday with a road trip to Winona State (22-10, 8-2 NSIC) as CSP will have faced the top five teams in the NSIC standings following their twin bill with the Warriors.

Senior catcher Amanda Parsons went 4-6 with three doubles, three runs and an RBI in the doubleheader and Emma Lero went 2-5 with a double and an RBI to lead the hitters. Parsons now has 12 doubles on the season. Right handed pitcher Kristi Pilz pitched in both games in relief, allowing a run while scattering four hits for a 1.75 ERA to lead the pitching staff.

GAME 1: UMD 5, CSP 4
Concordia struck first in the second inning, with Amanda Parsons leading off with a single and scoring from first base when Emma Lero delivered a two-out RBI single to right field for the game's first run.

UMD countered with three-straight hits in the bottom of the inning, a single, a double and a two-run single to claim the lead.

The game remained close into the fifth inning, with CSP's only threats a pair of two-out hits, a single by Grace Beseman in the third inning and a double by Emma Lero in the fourth.

Bryanna Olson was just as effective in the circle as UMD starting pitcher Lauren Dixon, working 1-2-3 frames in the first and fourth innings and pitching out of a jam in the third, with the first two batters reaching before loading the bases with two outs, working out of the inning unscathed.

In the fifth, the Bulldogs produced four singles and drew a walk, leading to three runs, pushing Olson from the contest. Olson took the loss, falling to 15-4, allowing five runs on six hits with six strikeouts in 4.1 innings.

Concordia looked for another late inning rally, similar to the success at St. Cloud State just a day earlier in picking up a road sweep.

In the sixth inning, Beseman led off with a walk and moved to third on Parsons' double to right field. Sydney Pelzer followed with a 3-run homer to center, bringing the Golden Bears within a run. Jacey Defries followed by reaching on a two-base error, but the next three hitters were retired, ending the threat.

In the seventh, UMD turned to the bullpen, who continued the momentum from the end of the eighth inning by retiring the side for the win.

Parsons went 2-3 with a double and two runs scored while Pelzer's homer was her fourth of the year and third of the week. Lero turned in a strong effort, as well, going 2-2 with her second double of the year and an RBI.

GAME 2: UMD 9, CSP 2
In game two, Concordia once again took the first lead, this time in the first inning with a two-out rally started by a Grace Beseman single. Amanda Parsons followed with an RBI double, and scored on Sydney Pelzer's RBI single for the early lead.

Concordia left runners on first and third to end the inning, but held a 2-run lead early.

Left handed starting pitcher Erica McCullough went to work, striking out the first two batters of the game in a 1-2-3 first inning. She pitched out of a bases loaded jam in the second as UMD drew a pair of walks and a hit by pitch, but McCullough put up a strong third inning to keep UMD scoreless.

She carried a no-hitter into the fourth inning, but a pair of singles started a big inning for UMD, who produced eight runs with the last three coming after a two-out error.

From there, UMD didn't relinquish the lead, keeping the momentum by retiring 12 CSP hitters in a row.

While McCullough took the loss to fall to 4-4 on the year, she picked up five strikeouts in 3.2 innings against the Bulldogs. Kristi Pilz went the rest of the way, striking out a pair in 2.1 innings, allowing one run in the seventh inning.

Parsons put up another 2-3 performance, socking a pair of doubles, scoring and driving in a run from the cleanup spot. Jacey Defries also had a 2-hit game, going 2-3.

Parsons has now hit safely in eight straight games and reached base safely in 16 consecutive while leading the team with 13 multi-hit games. Pelzer leads the team with eight multi-RBI games and had three home runs and eight RBI in CSP's six games this week while Parsons went 12-19 at the plate with six extra base hits (5 2B, 1 3B) for a 1.000 slugging percentage.