MOORHEAD, Minn. - The Concordia-St. Paul softball team (22-25, 8-14 NSIC) were swept in their Monday doubleheader with MSU Moorhead (27-11, 15-5 NSIC) going down in game one 3-2 before being shutout game two 8-0. Bryanna Olson (13-14) and Erica McCullough (7-7) were credited with the losses in the two games. 

Even with the defeats, the Golden Bears are only one game out of the tenth and final playoff spot due to a six game losing streak by Sioux Falls (9-13 NSIC). Tuesday's doubleheader with Upper Iowa (7-14 NSIC) looms large as the Peacocks are also battling for the final playoff spot and are only a half game behind the Bears. 

GAME ONE: MSU Moorhead 3, Concordia 2
The first game of the doubleheader was all about pitching and defense. Six of the first seven batters were retired before any offensive action in the game and five of the seven frames were clean for both teams. The game ended up coming down to the wire with the only error in the contest deciding the match.

The Golden Bears took advantage of back-to-back walks to start the third inning to get on the board first. Danni Sharum led things off by working an 0-2 count into a twelve pitch free pass. Annalise Scamehorn walked after Sharum and Tori Turgeon entered the game as pinch runner for Sharum on second. Clara Heislen doubled to score Turgeon and Alexus Houston followed it up with an RBI groundout to give the Bears a 2-0 lead.

MSUM got a leadoff double from right fielder Evey Evans to start the bottom of the third. A one out single and a steal by center fielder Lizzy Davis put two in scoring position for the Dragons. Concordia starter Bryanna Olson gave up a single up the middle to bring in Evans, but a strong throw in by Heislen from center kept Davis at third. A clutch 6-4-3 double play in the next at-bat kept the Bears in the lead 2-1.

The Golden Bears defense picked up another 6-4-3 double play in the fourth to end the inning and held strong again in the fifth, getting out of a bases loaded situation on a fly out to Houston in right field. The defense and pitching from MSUM stifled the CSP offense as well with reliever Avery Steffen entering in the third. Steffen held Concordia scoreless, giving up just one hit and a walk in her three innings of work.

After a great defensive game, a CSP miscue in the sixth broke the game open for the Dragons. MSUM took advantage of a CSP error in the outfield to put two in scoring position and brought them both home on a two-RBI single from Evans for two-unearned runs. Evans entered the game in the seventh and picked up the save for MSU Moorhead, negating two hits and closing things out for the Dragons. 

GAME TWO: MSU Moorhead 8, Concordia 0 (Six Innings)
The Golden Bears never got on track in the second game on offense or defense. Kristi Pilz got the start for CSP, but exited the game in the first inning after being hit by a line drive back up the middle. Pilz got the out at first, but McCullough entered in relief and would go the next three innings. 

After a strikeout to close the first and a scoreless second inning, the Dragons started to get to McCullough in the third, loading the bases with one out. Taylor Griffin saved a run, taking a ground ball and whipping it home for the out. With the bases still loaded, MSUM hit back-to-back singles to score three and break the stalemate. 

Moorhead starter Azalya Lopez (6-0) wrapped up her outing in the fourth, finishing the day allowing no runs on three hits with a strikeout in a winning effort. The Dragon's offense padded her lead after her departure, putting up three more runs in the bottom of the inning. Avery Steffen came in to pitch in the fifth, setting the Golden Bears in order in the top of the inning. 

McCullough walked the first two batters she faced in the sixth and was relieved by Bryanna Olson. MSUM loaded the bases with one out and scored on a fielder's choice to extend the lead to 7-0. Steffen shutdown the CSP batters again in the sixth, working a one-two-three innings. The Dragons reached the run-rule quota in the sixth, loading the bases and scoring on an infield ground ball as Evans beat the throw from Griffin to give Moorhead the six-inning victory. 

UP NEXT
The Golden Bears travel to Fayette, Iowa for their third doubleheader in three days, with this one against Upper Iowa (15-24, 7-14 NSIC). Game one begins at 2:00 p.m. with game two following at 4:00 p.m.