JAMESTOWN, N.D. — The Concordia-St. Paul softball team (19-12, 8-0 NSIC) rolled to eight straight wins, taking a pair from the Jamestown Jimmies in a doubleheader at the Nelson Family Bubble in Jamestown, North Dakota on Sunday afternoon. CSP slugged their way to a 10-4 in game one before putting together a 8-3 win in game two to complete the sweep and a 4-0 weekend.
Alexis Monty came up big in both games out of the leadoff spot with four hits in nine trips to the plate across both games. The junior shortstop smacked two doubles and a triple, while driving in two runs, scoring two runs and stealing two bases.
Danni Sharum came up with three hits in five at bats, while driving in two runs and scoring one. Lily Burke notched two hits in six at bats, drawing one walk, driving in one run and stealing five bases across both games.
Emmy Bowne got the start in game one, tossing 4.0 innings giving up five hits and three earned runs to pick up the win and improve to 8-6 on the year. Abi Carter came on in relief and pitched 3.0 innings giving up two hits and one earned run.
In game two Tatum Dunlavy took the circle and tossed a 7.0 inning complete game, giving up three earned runs on eight hits, while striking out a career-high eight batters on 131 pitches to earn the win, moving to 7-5 on the season.
The Golden Bears are back on the road on Friday, April 3 when they head to Sioux Falls for a doubleheader against Augustana. First pitch of game one is set for 12 p.m.
Game one: CSP 10, UJ 4
CSP jumped on the Jimmies right away, putting up a five spot in their first turn at the plate. Alexi Monty led off the inning with a ground-rule double, before coming around to score on an errant throw by the Jamestown shortstop.
With two runners in scoring position, Danni Sharum ripped an RBI single to center to open a 2-0 lead. Katie Klotz broke it open with a single to center, bringing home three runs and opening up a 5-0 Golden Bear lead in the opening frame.
Emmy Bowne kept the Jimmies off the board in the opening two innings, giving up one hit and recording one punchout to keep the CSP lead at five.
In the bottom of the third Jamestown worked a leadoff walk and laid down a sacrifice bunt, scoring their first run on a RBI single up the middle to make it a 5-1 game.
CSP put together another big inning in the top of the fifth, with five runs on three hits to break the game wide open. Nora Brandt got things started with a walk followed by Katie Klotz reaching on a fielder's choice. Ava Blake lined a single to left field, plating one run while advancing to second on the throw.
Two more runs came around to score on a Jamestown error, later in the inning Lily Burke legged out an infield single to make it 9-1, before Makayla Wigern reached on catcher's interference with the bases loaded to open a 10-1 advantage.
Jamestown pushed two across in the fifth on back-to-back triples and a sacrifice fly, but Abi Carter came on in relief, recording the final nine outs to secure the 10-4 win for the Golden Bears.
Alexis Monty and Riley Rosenthal accounted for five of CSP's nine hits in game one, with Monty going 2-for-5 with a double and Rosenthal putting together a 3-for-5 with a run scored.
Game Two: CSP 8, UJ 3
The Golden Bear picked up right where they left off, putting up four runs in the first inning of game two. Monty lined a triple to right to get things started, coming home on a Lily Burke stolen base and throwing error by the Jamestown catcher. Danni Sharum lined an infield single to second, beating out the throw and driving in CSP's second run.
Katie Klotz kept the line moving with an RBI single to right, later coming around to score on a Jamestown throwing error to make it a 4-0 ballgame.
The Jimmies cut the lead in half in the bottom of the first with a two RBI triple to right center off the bat of Maddie Spaeth. Tatum Dunlavy came up with back-to-back strikeouts to get out of the inning and keep the two run lead intact.
Jamestown threatened once more in the bottom of the second, cutting the CSP lead to just one on a RBI double to right center. Dunlavy worked out of danger once again with a lineout and an inning ending punchout to preserve the one run advantage.
With one runner on and two outs in the third, Bryleigh Dana provided an insurance run with an RBI double to right center. Three more Golden Bear runs came around to score in the inning, two of which came on a Monty two RBI double to right to open up an 8-3 lead.
Tatum Dunlavy kept the Jimmies off the board the rest of the way, giving up just four hits in the final five innings while striking out five Jamestown batters, setting a new career-high with eight punchouts in a game, while tossing a 131 pitch complete game.
Four Golden Bears recorded multi-hit games in the 8-3 win, with Alexis Monty going 2-for-4 with two RBI, Danni Sharum went 2-for-3 at the plate with an RBI, Katie Klotz went 2-for-4 as well and Bryleigh Dana went 2-for-4 with a double and an RBI.
