ST. PAUL,Minn. — The Concordia-St. Paul softball team is back on the road this week for a pair of doubleheaders against Augustana and Wayne State. Due to inclement weather in the forecast, Friday's doubleheader against Augustana will shift from Sioux Falls, South Dakota to Wayne, Nebraska. All four games against Wayne State and Augustana will take place at the Wildcat Dome in Wayne.
First pitch of game one for the Friday, April 3, doubleheader against Augustana is set for 3 p.m. with game two set to start at 5 p.m. The Saturday, April 4 doubleheader against the Wildcats is set to begin at 10 a.m. with a scheduled first pitch of game two set for 12 p.m.
Last Time Out
CSP picked up four wins in a pair of doubleheader sweeps over Northern State and Jamestown on the road last weekend. The Golden Bears are now 8-0 in conference play and sit in tie for first place in the NSIC standings with Winona State, who is also off to an 8-0 start in conference play.
The Golden Bears started the weekend by picking up two wins over the Wolves in Aberdeen, grabbing a narrow 3-2 win in game one, before jumping out to a 5-0 lead in game two and going on to win 6-2.
At the plate CSP was led by Ava Blake who went 4-for-6 at the plate with four doubles and three RBI. Katie Klotz had three hits in seven trips to the plate while driving in two runs.
In the circle Emmy Bowne picked up the win in game one, tossing 5.0 innings, giving up five hits and one earned run to improve to 7-6 on the season. Abi Carter tossed 2.0 innings of relief to earn the save. Tatum Dunlavy got the start in game two and threw 6.0 innings giving up no earned runs with one strikeout to earn the win.
In Saturday's doubleheader against Jamestown the Golden Bears slugged their way to a sweep, outscoring the Jimmies 18-7 across both games, with 10-4 win in game one and a 8-3 victory in game two.
Alexis Monty led the way offensively out of the leadoff spot with four hits in nine trips to the plate, smacking two doubles and a triple on the afternoon, with two RBI, two runs scored and two stolen bases. Danni Sharum put together a 3-for-5 afternoon, with two RBI and a run scored.
Emmy Bowne got the start in game one and tossed 4.0 innings giving up five hits and three earned runs to pick up the win and improve to 8-6 on the season. Tatum Dunlavy went the distance in game two, tossing 7.0 innings and giving up three earned with eight punchouts in a 131 pitch complete game, moving to 7-5 in the circle this season.
Season Leaders
Riley Rosenthal leads the Golden Bears in average this season, batting .340 with a .369 on-base percentage and a .415 slugging percentage and 12 RBI, stealing seven bases in seven attempts.
Alexis Monty leads the team with a .960 OPS this season, posting a .333/.460/.500 slash line. Monty ranks 16th in the NSIC in OBP and sixth in walks with 18, while ranking eighth in the conference in stolen bases with 13 in 15 attempts.
Ava Blake is batting .329 with a .419 OBP and .443 slugging percentage this season. Blake leads the team with seven doubles, while driving in 13 runs and stealing four bases.
Katie Klotz is batting .310 with two doubles, 10 RBI, seven stolen bases and a .728 OPS. Nora Brandt is batting .299 with a .775 OPS and 14 RBI. Danni Sharum leads the team with two home runs, 17 RBI and a .827 OPS.
In the circle, Emmy Bowne has a 3.25 ERA this season in 90.1 innings pitched with 10 complete games, good for fourth in the NSIC. Bowne leads the team with 45 strikeouts and a 8-6 record in 16 starts.
Tatum Dunlavy has a 3.04 ERA in 71.1 innings pitched with 36 strikeouts, four complete games and a 7-5 record in 15 starts.
Abi Carter has tossed 38.2 innings of relief this season with a 1.27 ERA, the lowest in the NSIC and a conference leading two saves. Carter has a 4-1 record this season with 16 strikeouts in 14 appearances.
Augustana - Friday, April 3 at the Wildcat Dome, Wayne, Neb. - 3 p.m./5 p.m.
Series Record: CSP 8, AU 37
In 45 matchups dating back to the 2003 season the Golden Bears are 8-37 against the Vikings. Augustana has taken each of the last five games in the series, with CSP's last win coming on April 3, 2023 a 9-1 win over Augustana in Sioux Falls.
The Vikings have a 13-16 overall record this season and are off to a 6-2 start to NSIC play in seventh place in the conference standings. Augustana went 3-1 last weekend, sweeping MSU Moorhead on Saturday, before splitting with Minnesota Crookston on Sunday afternoon.
Kierra Lubovich leads the Vikings at the plate with a .463 average and a 1.231 OPS, ranking second in the NSIC in average and fifth in OPS. Lubovich has 11 doubles and three homers this season with a team leading 28 RBI.
Claire Wynja is batting .391 with a 1.076 OPS for the Vikings this season, with eight doubles, four home runs and 22 RBI. Sidney Smart is batting .367 with a 1.054 OPS with seven doubles, four triples, two home runs and 20 RBI.
Andrea Cain is batting .370 with a 1.095 OPS, a team leading seven home runs and 24 RBI.
In the circle, the Vikings are led by Helene Krage who is 5-4 with a 3.64 ERA and 40 strikeouts in 65.1 innings of work. Jaelyn Garcia is 4-5 this season with a 5.14 ERA and 43 strikeouts in 65.1 innings this season.
Teya Speltz has made seven starts for the VIkings this season with a 4-5 record and a 6.04 ERA in 48.2 innings of work.
Gretta Melsted is the head coach of the Vikings, she is in her 20th season at Augustana and has a record of 863-374 in her time with the Vikings.
Wayne State - Saturday, April 4 at the Wildcat Dome, Wayne, Neb. - 10 a.m./12 p.m.
Series Record: CSP 33, WSC 23
Across 56 games dating back to the 2000 season the Golden Bears are 33-23 against the Wildcats. CSP has the upper hand over Wayne State recently, winning 14 0f the last 16 games in the series dating back to April of 2017.
The two teams split the season series last year at Carlander Field, with the Golden Bears taking game one of the doubleheader 8-1 before falling 7-6 in game two.
This season the Wildcats are 26-6 overall with a 6-2 record in NSIC play and in a tie with Augustana for seventh place in the conference standings. The Wildcats went 3-1 last weekend, sweeping Minnesota Crookston at home on Saturday before splitting with MSU Moorhead on Sunday afternoon.
Emilee Marth leads the Wildcats at the plate with a .442 average and a 1.238 OPS this season. Marth has 10 doubles and four home runs this season, while ranking second in the NSIC with 34 RBI.
Reagan Dreibelbis is batting .370 with a 1.300 OPS, leading the team and the NSIC with nine home runs this season. Dreibelbis also has six doubles and 38 RBI as well.
Kennadi Borngrebe is batting .375 with a .973 OPS for the Wildcats, while smacking three doubles, two homers and driving in 17 runs. Leah Chance is batting .366 with a 1.033 OPS, two home runs and 26 RBI.
Borngrebe leads the way in the circle for the Wildcats with a 10-3 record and a 1.29 ERA in 92.1 innings pitched. She ranks third in the NSIC in ERA and second in strikeouts with 117 this season while holding opponents to a .159 average.
Taylor Coleman has 8-2 record with a 1.54 ERA in 50.0 innings this season, ranking sixth in the conference in ERA. Coleman ranks seventh in the NSIC with 87 strikeouts and is holding opponents to a .163 average.
The Wildcats are coached by Christy Warnock who is in her fourth year as head coach, with a record of 52-103 in her first three seasons at Wayne State.
