SIOUX CENTER, Iowa - The Concordia-St. Paul softball team (22-6, 4-0 NSIC) completed the weekend sweep to start NSIC play with a pair of victories against Bemidji State (8-19, 2-2 NSIC) on Monday. The Golden Bears picked up a 4-3 comeback victory in game one and a 3-1 victory in game two. This is the best NSIC start for the Golden Bears since 2021 when the team started 6-0 in conference play. 

Three different Golden Bears tallied home runs on the day. Senior right fielder Alexus Houston and junior shortstop Sydney Pelzer hit back-to-back solo homers in game one. Junior Rachel Novak tallied a single homer in game two. Freshman Alexis Monty led the team in hitting with three total on the day and one RBI. 

Junior pitcher Erica McCullough picked up a victory in game two and a save in game one. She finished with four strikeouts giving up seven hits in 8.0 innings pitched. She didn't give up a single earned run on the day and only walked one batter. 

The Golden Bears have a quick turnaround in a doubleheader on the road on Friday against MSU Moorhead (16-10, 3-1 NSIC). Concordia will then play a doubleheader against Northern State (14-10, 0-4 NSIC) on Saturday.

Game One

Bemidji State scored a run in the first, second and fourth innings to take an early 3-0 lead. The Golden Bears got on the board with back-to-back solo home runs by Houston and Pelzer in the fourth inning. 

In the fifth inning, Novak got the hitting started with a droopy single in front of the plate, beating the throw by the pitcher. Monty followed with an RBI triple, tying the game at 3-3. Monty was brought in to home on a groundout to the shortstop by sophomore Riley Rosenthal for the go-ahead run. 

The Beavers hit a single to start the sixth inning, but the Golden Bears responded with a groundout and flyout. Freshman Emmy Bowne finished the sixth inning with a strikeout swinging. 

McCullough came into the game in the seventh inning. After getting one out, the Beavers hit a double down the left-field line to get into scoring position. The last two batters lined out and grounded out to finish the game. 

Bowne pitched six innings giving up eight hits and two earned runs. She threw two strikeouts in 85 pitches to improve her record to 10-4 on the season. McCullough picked up her second save of the season pitching one inning. 

Monty, Rosenthal, Houston and Pelzer each finished with an RBI. Pelzer and Houston tallied two hits each. The Golden Bears never walked in the game and were only struck out once. 

The Beavers outhit CSP 9-7 and Concordia had the only error of the game during the second at-bat in the first inning. Bemidji State left seven runners on base compared to three for the Golden Bears. 

Game Two

After two scoreless innings, Monty singled to start the bottom of the third inning. Rosenthal then laid down a bunt and beat the throw at first, while Monty rounded second to head for third. Monty beat the throw at third and reached safely, which allowed Rosenthal to make it to second base too. Junior catcher Danni Sharum grounded out to shortstop, bringing Monty in for the first run of the game. 

With two outs in the top of the fourth inning, an errant throw by Sharum on a pick-off attempt at first base allowed the runner to get into scoring position at second base. Bemidji State catcher Morgan Benedict hit an RBI single into center field to tie the game at 1-1. 

Novak responded with a home run as the first hitter at the plate in the fifth inning, reclaiming the lead for CSP. After Monty singled to center field, the Golden Bears pulled off the same two-base bunt maneuver once again. Monty reached third on a SAC bunt by Rosenthal and then made it to home on a bunt single by senior Clara Heislen to put the Golden Bears up 3-1. 

The Beavers threatened in the sixth inning with runners on first and second and one out. McCullough threw a strikeout and a groundout to get out of the inning. The junior then tallied a strikeout with a groundout and flyout in the final inning to secure the victory.

McCullough pitched all seven innings striking out four batters in 99 total pitches. She gave up six hits, one walk and 0 earned runs. The junior LHP improved her record to 12-2 on the season. 

Monty led the Golden Bears on offense with two hits, two runs scored and reaching on a walk. Heislen, Novak and Rosenthal recorded the other three hits for CSP. Sharum, Novak and Heislen each tallied RBIs.

The Beavers outhit CSP once again 6-5 with the Golden Bears committing two errors in the contest. Bemidji State left seven runners on base compared to four for Concordia-St. Paul. The Golden Bears never struck out in the game.