JOPLIN, Mo. – The Concordia-St. Paul softball team (8-13) opened play at the NSIC/MIAA Challenge on the campus of Missouri Southern on Friday afternoon, defeating Nebraska-Kearney (10-13) 13-5 in five innings.
It was CSP's first meeting with UNK in almost exactly a year, with the Golden Bears sweeping the Lopers in a doubleheader on March 16, 2024 on the same field in Joplin, Mo. Including Friday's win, Concordia now holds an 8-4 edge over the Lopers in the all-time series and has won the last five straight against UNK.
After both teams opened the game with a scoreless frame, the Concordia offense came alive in the bottom of the second with three runs: two off the bat of freshman
Lily Burke on a double to center field and an another on a sacrifice bunt by
Emily Knoblauch to brink Burke home.
The Golden Bears added a pair more in the third to make it 5-0, with
Sydney Pelzer stealing home and
Ava Blake bringing
Rachel Novak around to score with a single up the middle.
CSP blew the game open in the fourth, scoring five runs to extend the lead to double digits at 10-0.
Bryleigh Dana, Novak, and
Katie Klotz each had one run batted in in the inning while Burke knocked in two more with yet another double to center field.
The Lopers finally got on the board with four runs in the top of the fifth, forcing the Golden Bears to bat in the bottom of the inning with the lead now under eight. The Golden Bears went on to end the game early regardless, with an RBI single from Pelzer scoring both
Riley Rosenthal and
Alexis Monty before
Makayla Wigern, pinch running for Pelzer, slammed the door shut when she scored on a Loper wild pitch to restore the eight-run lead.
As a team, the Golden Bears finished the game with 14 hits and two errors while UNK had seven hits and one error.
Burke had the strongest game of her young career, going 3-3 at the plate with two doubles, four RBI, a run scored and a stolen base. Pelzer was also perfect on the day, finishing 3-3 with a double, two RBI, two runs scored, and a stolen base. Freshman
Katie Klotz turned in the third multi-hit performance of her career, going 2-3 with a run scored and a run batted in. Monty and Rostenthal each finished 2-4 with two runs scored.
Emmy Bowne made the start in the circle and earned the win for the Golden Bears, allowing six hits and five runs with two strikeouts and a walk in 4.1 innings of work.
Tatum Dunlavy finished the game in relief of Bowne, allowing one hit and retiring the final two batters on groundouts in the top of the fifth.
The Golden Bears will continue the NSIC/MIAA Challenge in Joplin on Saturday, taking on Missouri Southern (19-9) in a doubleheader starting at 12 p.m.
