ST. CLOUD, Minn. — The Concordia-St. Paul softball team (22-17, 11-5 NSIC) earned a doubleheader split with the Sioux Falls Cougars (22-19, 10-6 NSIC) inside the Husky Dome on Saturday afternoon. Runs were at a premium in both games as CSP took game one 2-1 in eight innings behind a complete game from Emmy Bowne. In game two, the Cougars came away with a 4-0 win to secure the split. 

In game one Emmy Bowne took the circle and outdueled Sioux Falls starter Maddi Duncan, who entered the game with a 1.49 ERA and a 13-6 record. Bowne tossed 8.0 innings for the Golden Bears giving up five hits and one earned run, while striking out four cougars, notching her 13th complete game of the season and picking up the win to move to 10-8 on the year. 

Riley Rosenthal picked up two hits in seven trips to the plate across both games, Katie Klotz collected two hits as well. Alexis Monty had CSP's only extra base knock of the afternoon, a triple in the bottom of the third inning of game two, Monty also drew a walk and scored  a run in game one. 

The Golden Bears are back at Carlander Field on Friday, April 17 for a doubleheader matchup with the No. 23-ranked Winona State Warriors. First pitch of game one is set for 2 p.m.

Game One: CSP 2, USF 1 (8 Inn.) 

CSP got things going in the bottom of the first with a leadoff walk from Alexis Monty, who later swiped second before coming around to score on a fielding error by the Cougar shortstop to put the Golden Bears up 1-0 in the early going. 

Emmy Bowne made quick work of the Cougars in each of the first three innings, allowing a pair of singles and picking up two punchouts to maintain the one run advantage. 

Katie Klotz shot a one out single up the middle and later advanced to second on a passed ball, Ava Blake followed by working a one out walk to put two on. CSP couldn't get the run across though stranding both runners on a pair of groundouts. 

Bowne held the Cougars off the board in each of the next two innings. Dannin Sharum worked a one out walk in the sixth and pinch runner Haley Knoblauch advanced to second on a wild pitch to put the insurance run in scoring position. The run didn't come around to score however and the slim one run lead remained. 

Sioux Falls led off the seventh with an infield single, advancing the runner to third on a sacrifice bunt. Bowne came up with a strikeout on a 1-2 count to put the Golden Bears one out away from securing the 1-0 win. 

Morgan Linstad drew a walk for the Cougars and made an aggressive turn for second, stealing the base and allowing the runner at third to steal home to tie the game and one and send it to extra innings. 

The Cougars were held off the board in the top of the eighth and Riley Rosenthal got the Golden Bears going with a one out single in the bottom of the eighth. Halet Knobaluch followed with a line drive single to center, before Katie Klotz reached on a fielder's choice to load the bases. 

In an eight pitch at bat, Nora Brandt won the battle drawing a walk and plating the winning run from third to pick up the 2-1 win in eight innings. 

Game Two: CSP 0, USF 4 

Pitching and defense continued to rule the day in game two as neither side pushed a run across in the opening three innings. The first threat of the game came in the top of the third, Sioux Falls used a walk, steal of second and a sacrifice bunt to put the game's first run on third base. 

A grounder to starter Tatum Dunlavy plated the game's opening run and put Sioux Falls ahead, 1-0. 

In the bottom half of the third, Alexis Monty roped a one triple to left center gap, Lily Burke shot a grounder up the middle, deflecting off the pitchers glove as the Cougar shortstop grabbed the ricochet and fired it home to cut down Monty. 

Sioux Falls led off the fourth with a triple of their own, plating two runs on three bases hits to open up a 3-0 lead.

In the bottom of the inning, Bryleigh Dana lined a two out single to right center, pinch runner Amanda Barnacle advanced to third on a Cougar fielding error, but CSP were held off the board once again. 

The Cougars pushed another run across in the top of seventh on a RBI single to right field to make it a 4-0 game. 

Rylie Rasmussen legged out an infield single to get the Golden Bear rally started in the seventh. Danni Sharum followed with a line drive single, before a double play ended the CSP rally and gave USF a 4-0 win.