ROSEMOUNT, Illi. — The Concordia-St. Paul softball team (4-2, 0-0 NSIC) came away with two wins to open the Lewis Dome Invitational today. The Golden Bears started the day with a 6-5 walkoff win in nine innings over Wayne State (3-1, 0-0 GLIAC), before capping the day with a 7-2 win over Grand Valley State (1-1, 0-0 GLIAC).
Danni Sharum went 1-for-3 at the plate in game one, drawing one walk and driving in two runs. Gabby Martinez went 1-for-3 as well, coming up with CSP's only extra base hit, while driving in one run and drawing a walk. Alexis Monty notched one hit and scored two runs.
Riley Rosenthal notched two hits and drove in two runs in the win over the Lakers. Ava Blake collected two hits and two RBI as well, Monty and Lily Burke both went 1-for-3 at the plate as well.
Tatum Dunlavy got the start in the circle in game one, tossing 4.2 innings, allowing five hits, one earned run and striking out four. Abi Carter came in and tossed 4.1 innings out of the bullpen, giving up three hits, one earned run and adding four punchouts to come away with the win.
Emmy Bowne tossed a complete game against Grand Valley in game two, going the full 7.0 innings, allowing nine hits, one earned run with two strikeouts, to move to 3-0 in the circle this season.
The Golden Bears are back in action for one game at the Rosemount Dome tomorrow, as they take on Upper Iowa. First pitch is set for 1:30 p.m.
Game One: CSP 6, WSU 5 (9 Inn.)
Wayne State plated the game's first run in the top of the first, when shortstop Hunter Near reached on an error, later coming around to score on a wild pitch to make it a 1-0 ballgame.
An RBI single through the left side of the infield brought home another, as the Warriors extended their lead to two in the top of the third.
Down 2-0 in the bottom half of the fifth, the Golden Bears got one back, Ashlynn Peterson brought home Emily Knoblauch on a sharp single to center to cut the lead in half.
Riley Rosenthal got things started in the bottom of the sixth with a lead off triple to right, putting the tying run 60 feet away. With two outs Nora Brandt lined a double down the left field line bringing home Rosenthal and tying things up at two.
The game remained tied at the end of seven, sending it to extra innings. In the top of the eighth the Warriors plated two on an RBI groundout and Sacrifice fly. CSP got to work in the bottom half, Alexis Monty shot an RBI single to center to make it 4-3, before Sharum singled to right center,plating Monty and tying it up once again.
Wayne added another Sac fly in the ninth to retake the lead. Gabby Martinez responded in the bottom half, with a ringing double down the right field line to tie it at five. Ashlynn Peterson executed the sacrifice bunt to perfection, putting Martinez at third, with the freshman coming home one batter later as CSP grabbed a 6-5 walkoff win.
Abi Carter earned her first win of the season in the circle, improving to 1-0 by tossing 4.1 innings of relief and striking out four Warrior batters.
Game Two: CSP 7, GVSU 2
The Lakers opened the game with three straight hits, going up 1-0 on a RBI single. Emmy Bowne was able to limit the damage inducing a double play and stranding one runner to get out of the inning.
Gabby Martinez got things started in the third with a leadoff single, followed by a Riley Rosenthal two RBI double two batters later to give the Golden Bears a 2-1 lead. Rosenthal later stole third, coming around to score to make it a 3-1 ballgame.
The two run lead held for the next two frames before Concordia broke things open in the sixth, striking for four runs in the inning. Two of which came on a Ava Blake double, with two more coming around to score on a pair of Bryleigh Dana and Gabby Martinez sac bunts.
CSP held off the Lakers in the top half of the seventh as Emmy Bowne put the finishing touches on a complete game to grab her third win of the season in the circle.
