WAYNE, Neb. - The Concordia-St. Paul softball team (17-12, 3-1 NSIC) swept the Wayne State Wildcats (6-23, 0-4 NSIC) on Sunday afternoon 4-2 and 7-3. The Golden Bears are now 11-1 in contests against WSC since 2017.

GAME ONE: Concordia 4, Wayne State 2
After two scoreless innings to start the game, Taylor Griffin got the Golden Bears on the board. Annalise Scamehorn got things started with a leadoff single. Griffin doubled in pinch runner Tori Turgeon to give CSP a 1-0 lead. 

A two-out walk drawn by Avery Johnson set up the Bears for their second run of the game in the fourth inning. Johnson stole second to set up Danni Sharum with a runner in scoring position. Sharum came through, knocking a double down the left field line to bring Johnson home to increase the lead to 2-0. 

Wildcat left fielder Lauren Laudick evened things up in the bottom of the inning, taking a full count pitch over the left field wall for a two run home run. The homer was one of just six hits starting pitcher Bryanna Olson would surrender in the game, and the runs were the only two for WSC in the contest. 

The Golden Bears came right back in the top of the fifth to take the lead for good. Two errors and a SAC bunt put runners in scoring position with one out. Two pitches later, Grace Beseman knocked a double to right field for two RBI.

The 4-2 lead would hold as the final score as Olson closed out the game to pick up her 11th complete game and move to 11-6 on the year. The junior picked up nine strikeouts, including a pivotal K to close out the sixth to leave the bases loaded.

GAME TWO: Concordia 7, Wayne State 3
Both teams scored in the first inning of the second game. Sydney Pelzer hit a two-out single to pick her 14th RBI of the season, bringing home Grace Beseman from second. The Wildcats struck back in the bottom of the inning with WSC sophomore Haley Murphy bringing home runners on second and third with a single to give Wayne State a 2-1 lead. 

The Wildcats extended their lead in the bottom of the fifth, scoring on a two-out single by shortstop Madison Gomez to bring home Murphy. The Bears went back in front in the next half-inning. After loading the bases, Annalise Scamehorn brought in the first run for CSP with a sacrifice fly to score pinch runner Tori Turgeon. The other two runners moved up on a wild pitch and also scored, with both crossing the plate on an error by WSC's second baseman on a pop fly. 

Bears starting pitcher Kristi Pilz (2-3) ended her day after getting out number one in inning six, finishing the day with 5.1 innings pitched, giving up three runs on nine hits while striking out two while walking none. Erica McCullough entered the game in relief and picked up the save, retiring all five batters she faced, including strikeout in the seventh inning. 

Concordia tacked on three more runs in the seventh on Jacey Defries' second home run of the season. Defries led CSP at the plate going 2-3 with the seventh inning home run and three RBI, as well as reaching base on a walk.

UP NEXT
The Golden Bears travel to Sioux Falls tonight and will take on conference powerhouse Augustana (17-8) in a double header with game one starting at noon. The Bears return to the cities on Tuesday for a doubleheader against the Sioux Falls Cougars at the West St. Paul Dome with games at 10:30 a.m. and 12:30 p.m.