CLERMONT, Fla. - The Concordia St.-Paul softball team (7-9) split a pair of games on Monday with a 5-3 loss to #8 Grand Valley State (7-2) and a 3-0 win over Lynn University (12-9). The Golden Bears are now 4-2 in their games in Florida this season with four games left on the trip.

GAME ONE: #8 Grand Valley State 5, Concordia 3
The Lakers put runs on the board quickly on a two-run home run off the bat of shortstop Lydia Goble to take a 2-0 lead. Goble added a third RBI in the second inning on a two out single to extend the Lakers lead to 3-0.

The Golden Bears got their first hits of the game in the third inning with singles from Taylor Griffin and Clara Heislen, but a double play and pop up ended the inning. It would be three more innings until another hit from a CSP batter as Laker pitcher Ashley Platek did not allow a baserunner in the fourth and fifth inning.

Concordia pitcher Erica McCullough had a solid game against the top-10 Lakers, coming in to relieve starter Bryanna Olson in the second inning and going the final six. After giving up a run in the second inning, McCullough would throw two scoreless frames before giving up one more in the sixth to make it 4-0.

The Golden Bears responded with three runs of their own in the bottom of the inning. A two-out, three-run home run from Danni Sharum scored Alexus Houston and Jacey Defries, bringing CSP to within one, 4-3.

McCullough faced her sister Alexis McCullough in the top of the seventh inning. Erica was able to win the eight-pitch at bat, retiring her sister on a line-out to Griffin for the second out. Two-out hitting remained a big factor in the game as the Lakers with two away strung together three hits in a row to score their fifth run. 

5-3 would stand up as the final score as the Golden Bears were unable to bring anyone else around to score in the bottom half of the inning. Sydney Pelzer gave Concordia some hope to leadoff the seventh, hitting a single to get things started. Riley Rosenthal entered the game as a pinch runner, but was thrown out at second on a fielder's choice for the second out of the inning, keeping CSP runners from getting into scoring position. Platek would close out the game by drawing a flyball out from Avery Johnson for the final out.

Platek finished with a complete game win to bring her season record to 3-0. The junior only had one strikeout, but only gave up five hits and limited CSP scoring to Sharum's sixth inning home run.

On the other side, McCullough gave up two earned runs on 12 hits in six innings. Bryanna Olson picked up the loss for her opening inning of work to move to 4-4 on the season.

GVSU shortstop Lydia Goble was the most effective at the plate for either team, going 3-for-4 with a double and home run on the way to driving in four of the Lakers five runs.

GAME TWO: Concordia 3, Lynn 0
After two scoreless innings, the Golden Bears manufactured a two-out run in the third. Alexus Houston singled up the middle and got herself into scoring position with a steal. Jacey Defries capitalized on the opportunity and put the ball down the right field line for an RBI single.

Concordia starter Bryanna Olson was rolling through the first three innings, allowing no hits and
limiting the Fighting Knights to one base-runner on a walk. She struck out the side in the third inning to bring her strikeout total to five. 

The Golden Bears threatened to score again in the fourth inning, getting two base runners on with one out. Taylor Griffin walked and Alexus Houston singled to put runners on first and second. Unfortunately the Bears were doubled up on a line drive to the third basemen to end the inning.

Olson continued her no hitter in the bottom of the fourth. Catcher Danni Sharum erased a one out walk, throwing out pinch runner Aryana Galio. A flyout to Defries closed out the inning.

Concordia doubled their 1-0 lead in the fifth inning with another two-out RBI. Defries got it started with a one out single and after Sharum walked the Knights turned to their bullpen. Lynn starter Haley Fardan finished the day with 4.1 innings pitched, allowing 7 hits, two runs, while walking three with no strikeouts. After an infield fly for the second out. Sydney Pelzer brought Defries in to score with her first hit of the day.

The Fighting Knights put two in scoring position in the fifth but Olson was able to work out of it to preserve the no hitter and shutout. A fly ball error and a walk put the two runners on with one out, but Olson would put an end to the threat with her sixth and seventh strikeouts of the game. 

CSP added one more run in the sixth to bring their lead to 3-0. Avery Johnson walked and Rachael Novak entered the game as a pinch runner. Novak put herself in scoring position by stealing second and advancing to third on a wild pitch. The next batter, Clara Heislen, walked and stole second to get two in scoring position for Houston. The Bears right fielder was able to single in Novak with an RBI single, but Heislen was tagged out by the catcher for the second out.

Lynn center fielder Taylor Scala finally broke the no hitter for the knights in the bottom of the inning and right fielder Aymee Godmai followed it up with another hit two batters later. Olson worked out of it and sent it to the final inning with the shutout still intact.

Concordia went one-two-three in the seventh for their only frame without a hit. A one-out double was all Lynn could muster in the final half-inning as Olson made quick work of the other knight batters, picking up her eighth strikeout of the game for the final out.

Olson finished with a three-hit complete game shutout to raise her record to 5-4. She held the Fighting Knights to a .130 batting average for the game struck out eight while walking just two.

Houston and Defries had the best performances at the plate for CSP, with both going 2-for-4 with an RBI.

UP NEXT
The Golden Bears are back on the diamond tomorrow to take on Wheeling University (W.Va) (1-9) at 8:00 a.m. followed by a matchup with Notre Dame (Ohio) (4-4) at 10:30 a.m.