JOPLIN, Mo. - The Concordia-St. Paul softball team (18-4) improved their start to 3-0 at the Teri Mathis-Zenner MIAA/NSIC Crossover Tournament. The Golden Bears picked up a 9-6 victory and 10-2 five-inning win over Nebraska Kearney (12-13) on Saturday. 

Junior Sydney Pelzer led the Golden Bears on the day with four hits and three RBIs. She also scored herself three times. Freshman Alexis Monty finished with four hits and three RBIs as well and scored three times herself.

Rosenthal tallied three hits and three RBIs. Senior Annalise Scamehorn put up four hits on the day with two RBIs. 

CSP was led in pitching by junior Erica McCullough who pitched 7.2 innings on the day with nine strikeouts. McCullough only gave up two earned runs while picking up a save in the first game. She improved her record to 10-1 with the second-game victory, which is the most wins she's put up in a single season in her career. 

The Golden Bears face their toughest test of the weekend on Sunday in a doubleheader against No. 13 Pittsburg State. First pitch for game one is scheduled for 1:30 p.m. with game two to follow afterward. The games will take place at the PSU softball complex in Pittsburg, Kansas. 

Game One

The Lopers scored the opening run of the game in the first inning, but CSP responded with senior Alexus Houston hitting her first home run of the season. Scamehorn hit an RBI double to give the Golden Bears a 2-1 lead heading into the bottom of the second. 

Loper outfielder Eden McNally hit a grand slam in the bottom of the second inning to retake the lead for UNK at 5-2. The Golden Bears took back the lead for the final time in the fourth inning. CSP scored four runs on two hits and a Loper error. Monty, Rosenthal, junior Danni Sharum and senior Clara Heislen each brought in a run in the inning to regain the lead, 6-5. 

In the fifth inning, the Golden Bears added to their lead. Monty hit a 2RBI triple to extend the margin to 8-5. Rosenthal hit an RBI double to bring Monty in for the ninth CSP run. 

The Golden Bears gave up a run in the fifth inning after an RBI double by the Lopers. With runners on second and third, McCullough subbed into the game and got CSP out of the tough situation with runners on second and third. She got the next two batters to fly out and line out, ending the inning. 

McCullough finished the game pitching 2.2 innings giving up 0 hits and throwing two strikeouts. She picked up her first save of the season.

Freshman Emmy Bowne picked up the victory after starting the game. She pitched 4.1 innings with one strikeout while giving up eight hits and six earned runs. The right-handed pitcher improved her record to 10-3 on the season. 

Monty led the Golden Bears with three hits and three RBIs in five at-bats. Pelzer finished with three hits and scored twice. Rosenthal had two RBIs with a double. Scamehorn tallied two hits with an RBI. 

Game Two

After CSP led 2-1 for most of the contest, the Golden Bears exploded in the fourth inning with eight runs and going through the entire batting lineup. Scamehorn started the inning with a double and freshman Bryleigh Dana hit an RBI bunt to bring a run home. Junior Rachel Novak reached on an error and Monty singled to get the bases loaded. 

Rosenthal then hit an RBI single, giving CSP a 4-1 lead. Heislen followed with a 2RBI single giving the Golden Bears a 6-1 lead. CSP walked to bring in the next three runs and Dana brought in another run on a groundout to give the Golden Bears a 10-1 lead heading into the fifth inning. 

The Golden Bears started the game with a Rosenthal single in the opening inning. After Heislen walked, Pelzer hit a 2RBI single to give CSP an early 2-0 lead. The Lopers answered later with a run in the third inning to cut the lead to 2-1. 

McCullough got out of a tough situation in the fourth inning. UNK hit a double and a single to put runners on first and third with one out. The junior lefty struck out the next two batters to get out of the inning unscathed. 

UNK threatened once again in the fifth and scored on a one-out RBI double, cutting the lead to 10-2. The Lopers left the game-extending runs on first and third as McCullough pitched a strikeout and a groundout to end the inning.

The Golden Bears were led by Scamehorn with two hits, a double and an RBI. Rosenthal tallied two doubles with an RBI as well. Pelzer led the team in RBIs with three and one hit. Heislen and Dana each finished with two RBIs. 

McCullough pitched all five innings giving up two earned runs and throwing seven strikeouts. She only threw two walks and picked up her 10th win of the season. 

The Golden Bears were walked six times in the game, four of which came in the fourth inning. CSP tallied eight hits compared to six for the Lopers. UNK committed the only error of the game. The Lopers left six runners on base and the Golden Bears left five. 

This is CSP's fifth run-rule win of the season. The Golden Bears have now won eight straight games and nine of their last 10.