ST. PAUL, Minn. — The Concordia-St. Paul softball team (22-19, 11-7 NSIC) dropped a pair of closely contested one run games to the No. 24-ranked Winona State Warriors (39-6, 18-2 NSIC) on a sunny afternoon at Carlander Field. 

CSP battled back from a three run deficit in game two, getting within one on a Danni Sharum home run and an Ava Blake RBI double, but came up just short falling, 3-2. In game two the Golden Bears opened up a 3-0 lead, before the Warriors plated three runs in the fourth and one in the fifth, going on to win, 4-3.

Danni Sharum notched three hits in five trips to the plate, driving in two runs and scoring one. Sharum clubbed her team leading fourth homer of the season in game one, while raising her average to .305 on the year. 

Alexis Monty also launched a roundtripper for the Golden Bears in the second inning of game two, the long ball is her second of the season. Monty went 2-for-3 at the plate in game two with a RBI, walk and two runs scored. 

Center fielder Ava Blake had three hits in six trips to the plate, with a 3-for-3 in game one. Gabby Martinez collected three hits in six at bats as well, with her 3-for-3 coming in game two.

As a team CSP came up with 15 hits across both games to Winona's 13. The Golden Bears left 11 runners on base across both games to the Warriors 14. 

Emmy Bowne got the start in the circle going 5.0 innings, giving up five hits and no earned runs with three strikeouts. Tatum Dunlavy got the start in game two and tossed 4.0 innings, giving up four hits and no earned runs, with three strikeouts. 

Abi Carter made two relief appearances on the afternoon and tossed 5.0 innings, giving up four hits and no earned runs with three strikeouts. 

The Golden Bears will now hit the road for a doubleheader with the Minnesota State Mavericks on Sunday, April 19. First pitch of game one is set for 12 p.m. in Mankato. 

Game One: CSP 2, WSU 3 

Winona State led off game one with a ringing double to left field to get things started, but Emmy Bowne induced a fly ball followed by Lily Burke nabbing the runner at second to complete the double play. CSP got out of the inning without giving up a run. 

CSP got its first hit of the day on a Danni Sharum liner to left, Ava Blake poked one through the left side of the infield to put two on, but the Golden Bears couldn't get one across. 

Two more scoreless frames ensued, before the Warriors got the leadoff runner on in the fourth on a throwing error. Bowne retired the next two batters on a flyout and groundout, but the Warriors capitalized on the miscue, plating the game's first run on a double to the left center gap. 

Two more Winona State scored two more runs in the inning to open up a 3-0 lead, all of which were unearned. 

CSP responded in the bottom half of the inning with a one out Danni Sharum solo home run to Marshall Avenue to cut the deficit to two. 

Emmy Bowne held the Warriors off the board again in the fifth, retiring the side in order. Abi Carter came on in relief to start the sixth inning and worked around a one out walk and single to keep CSP within two runs. 

Riley Rosenthal got the bottom of the sixth started with a lead off triple to straight away right field. Two batters later Ava Blake shot a two out double to the left center gap, plating Rosenthal and getting CSP back within one. 

After allowing both of the inherited runners to score in the sixth, Ashley Theisen picked up the save in the seventh as the Golden Bears went down in order, falling 3-2 in game one. 

Game Two: CSP 3, WSU 4

Game two saw the Golden Bears strike first, after a Alexis Monty leadoff single got things started, followed by a pair of groundouts to get her to third with two outs. Danni Sharum came up with the clutch two out knock in the cleanup spot, lining a single to left to plate the game's first run. 

Tatum Dunlavy worked around trouble in the second, stranding a two out hit by pitch and single. After a leadoff walk in the third, Dunlavy picked up two more big outs via the strikeout to protect the CSP lead. 

The Golden Bears padded the one run lead, with a Alexis Monty leadoff bomb to start the third, opening up a 2-0 lead. Riley Rosenthal legged out a one out infield single and swiped second to get into scoring position. This time CSP took advantage of a fielding error as Danni Sharum shot a groundball under the glove of the Warrior third baseman, Rosenthal scored on the play to open up a 3-0 CSP advantage. 

After a leadoff single and a hit by pitch to start the fourth inning, Dunlavy managed to retire the next two batters on a groundout and a punchout. But a costly fielding error plated one and a pair of RBI singles followed, tying the game at three on three unearned runs. 

Abi Carter made her second relief appearance of the afternoon to start the fifth, working around a one out single and double to get the second out of the inning on a fly ball to left. But once again errors proved costly as a fielding miscue allowed the Warriors to plate the go ahead run to make it, 4-3.

CSP came up with a pair of two out singles in their next two turns at the plate, but failed to get the tying run across as they fell, 4-3. Jayda Berg picked up the win for the Warriors, tossing a complete game despite giving up eight hits. 

Indigo Fish led the Warriors in game two with two hits in four trips to the plate, scoring two runs. Fish was 2-for-3 in game one as well, with a double and a RBI.