ST. PAUL, Minn. - The Concordia-St.Paul softball team (1-3) head down to Kansas this weekend for the Emporia 5-State Classic for six games against Central Region Teams. The dates and locations of the weekend's games have been aletered due to weather.
With the tournament being pushed back a day due to weather, the Golden Bears will now play two games on Saturday, Sunday, and Monday. Games will be played at three sites this weekend, two sites in Topeka, Kansas including host site Washburn University, as well as the original site at Emporia State's home field in Emporia, Kansas.
Live stats and live video webcast coverage links will be provided when available, but with some games played off campus and others in conjunction with other sporting events on campus, live stats and webstreaming coverage is not guaranteed.
LAST TIME OUT
The Golden Bears competed at the 2023 Portolite & Field Turf MSU Invitational Softball Tournament the first week of February going 1-3. The season started on a high note as Concordia defeated Missouri Western State 2-1 for Head Coach Bob Bartel's 500th career win. Bryanna Olson was the star of the game, giving up just one run in seven innings while striking out 11.
It was another pitching duel in game two against Minnesota Duluth with Kristi Pilz tossing six solid innings before the Bulldogs made their comeback in the seventh. After two singles, Pilz would be replaced by Olson who gave up a two-run single before striking out the final batter. Concordia could not answer in their half of the inning and UMD would take the win 2-1.
The CSP struggled to get going bats going in game one, only reaching base four times on three hits. The Flyers were slightly more successful with nine baserunners on five hits. Lewis struck early after collecting two singles and scoring on a one-out sacrifice bunt. Bryanna Olson was back on the mound for her second start of the season for Concordia. She was able to limit the damage to just one run after getting her second strikeout to close out the first. Lewis got one more run in the third inning, scoring from third on a failed double steal to finish the scoring in the game as the Flyers would go on to win 2-0.
NWMSU started the scoring in the bottom of the second inning, stringing together four two-out hits to and capitalizing on a CSP error to score the first two runs. They took advantage of another CSP error to score two more runs in the third inning, making it 4-0. The Bearcats doubled their score and knocked Concordia starter Erica McCullough out of the game in the fourth inning after scoring the first run on a flyball and three more runs on a three-run home run Kristi Pilz would replace McCullough and go the rest of the game. She gave up one more run in the sixth inning but limited Northwest Missouri State to three hits while walking one.
The Golden Bears scored both of their runs in the sixth inning. Morgan Medlo and Rachel Novak led off the inning with singles. Clara Heislen reached first to load the bases before an Alexus Houston RBI single brought in Medlo to score the first run of the game for CSP. Novak would cross the plate during the next at-bat on a wild pitch. NWMSU would lock in defensively and hold the Bears' to just two runs, leaving the bases loaded to end the inning. CSP put a baserunner on in each of the next two innings, but neither made it further than second base as the Bearcats took the win 9-2
MISSOURI-ST. LOUIS - February 18, 12:15 p.m. and February 20, 10:00 a.m.
Concordia has two games with the Tritons this week, including their opening game in Kansas. The Golden Bears are 4-1 all-time against UMSL and have won the last three, including a 6-2 victory in their most recent matchup in 2021.
It will be the opening game of the season for the Tritons, who are coming off of a 28-22 season that saw them knocked out of the GLVC Tournament in the first round by Lindenwood. UMSL won both of their games against NSIC opponents last season, defeating St. Cloud State (1-0) and Bemidji State (2-0).
Missouri-St. Louis' player to watch is pitcher Mimi Bradley. The 2022 Third Team All-GLVC selection was 11-7 in the circle last year with a 2.43 ERA. Tossed 18 complete games with 81 strikeouts on the season. Bradley's best game last season was against Missouri S&T where she threw a two-hit complete game shutout with eight strikeouts.
NORTHWEST MISSOURI STATE - February 18, 4:30 p.m.
The Golden Bears close out day one on Saturday afternoon against the Bearcats who defeated them in their final game of the MSU Dome Tournament, 9-2. CSP is 9-7 overall against Northwest Missouri State.
The Bearcats enter the game with a 1-3 record with their win coming against the Bears. NWMSU lost to Minnesota Duluth 9-2 and lost twice to Minnesota State including an 11-0 five inning defeat to the Mavericks.
Outfielder Lillie Filger is NWMSU's player to watch this week. She is batting for .357 average with five hits and an RBI. The sophomore was 2-for-4 against the Golden Bears with an RBI.
QUINCY - February 19, 10:00 a.m.
The Quincy Hawks have a 3-1 advantage in their series with Concordia and won their most recent contest in 2021, 1-0. Quincy will be led by Cathy Monroe who enters her first year with the program after leading fellow GLVC member Missouri S&T for the last seven seasons.
The Hawks had a disappointing season in 2022, earning an 18-27 record and missing the spot in the GLVC playoffs. QU has retooled in the offseason, bringing in seven freshmen and three transfers for 2023.
Junior Jayle Jennings did it all for the Hawks last spring, both on offense and in the circle earning All-GLVC honors. At the plate, she batted .308 in 127 at bats. She collected 45 hits, while scoring 31 runs. Jennings added seven doubles and one home run. In 24 appearances, while making 11 starts in the circle, Jennings had an ERA of 2.26 in 91.2 innings pitched. Of those 11 starts, she threw 8 complete games. Jennings struck out 43 batters, only allowing 15 walks and 32 runs.
#21 WASHBURN - February 19, 2:30 p.m.
The Golden Bears take on their first ranked opponent of the season on Sunday against #21 Washburn. The Ichabod's have had CSP's number in recent years winning three straight and are 7-4 against Concordia overall.
WU have the most games under their belt of the teams CSP will face in Kansas. Washburn is 7-2 so far this season including a 2-0 victory over #8 Lubbock Christian. The Ichabod's are coming off of a 1-0 loss to Arkansas Tech on an eighth inning walk-off home run.
Washburns player to watch is two time All-American Jaycee Ginter. The junior pitcher has dominated opposing batters this season, pitching to a 0.60 ERA through 46.2 innings. Ginter is 5-1 and has already racked up 62 strikeouts on the season. At the plate she has a .364 batting average with three doubles and seven RBI's.
EMPORIA STATE February 20, 12:15 p.m.
The CSP softball team wraps up their trip to Kansas with a matchup against the Hornets. The Golden Bears have a 7-11 record against Emporia State and lost 1-3 most recently in 2021.
The Hornets are 5-1 coming into the week and are on a four game win streak. The ESU loss came at the hands of #21 Lubbock Christian 9-0, but they rebounded by defeating Texas Permian Basin 15-7 in five innings and beating Andrews State twice (8-2, 9-2).
Emporia State's player to watch is Ari Cordova who was awarded with the MIAA hitter of the week for her recent performances to start the year. The junior infielder hit .500 with an OPS of 1.350, totaled ten RBI and had six stolen bases to open the season at the Lubbock College Sports Invitational. On day two of the invitational, Cordova exploded going 2-for-4 with a double, home run, four RBI and three runs scored in a 15-7 run rule win over UT-Permian Basin. On the invitational's final day, Cordova had a triple, two RBI and a run scored in the Hornets 8-2 game one win over Adams State. After the weekend, Cordova is currently second in the MIAA in RBI and stolen bases
