CROOKSTON, Minn. — The Concordia-St. Paul softball team (26-23, 15-11 NSIC) capped off their four game weekend roadtrip with a sweep of the Minnesota Crookston Golden Eagles (14-37, 8-18 NSIC) Sunday afternoon. The Golden Bears slugged a combined 20 hits between the two games, with a pair of home runs and a double mixed in.
Game one saw CSP jump on the Golden Eagles in three consecutive innings to take a 7-0 lead and eventually blank UMC thanks to seven shutout innings from starter Emmy Bowne. In game two Danni Sharum came up with the big swing in the third on a three run home run to right, her sixth of the season, to put CSP ahead 4-0, with the Golden Bears going on to win, 5-1.
The Golden Bears have now swept the Golden Eagles in each of the last three seasons, with CSP winning each of the last seven games in the series. The Golden Bears are now 49-2 all-time against the Golden Eagles.
Danni Sharum continued to swing a hot stick at the plate, going 3-for-5 across both games with three RBI, all coming via her team leading sixth homer of the season in game two. Riley Rosenthal was 3-for-7 with a double and one RBI across both games.
Alexis Monty put together a 2-for-4 in game one, scoring one run and swiping one bag, while recording her fourth consecutive multi-hit game.
Gabby Martinez notched five hits in five at bats, while driving in two runs and smacking the first home run of her collegiate career with a solo shot to right in the seventh inning of game two.
In the circle, Emmy Bowne tossed 7.0 innings, giving up no earned runs on one strikeout to grab the win, improving to 13-11 on the year. Tatun Dunlavy started game two and went 4.1 giving up four hits and one earned run to move to 9-8 this season. Abi Carter tossed 2.2 innings of relief, giving up no earned runs with one punchout.
The Golden Bears are back in action on Saturday afternoon, May 2 at Carlander Field, when they take on the Bemidji State Beavers on Senior Day. First pitch of game one is set for 12 p.m.
Game One: CSP 7, UMC 0
Riley Rosenthal shot a two out double to left field in the top of the first followed by a Danni Sharum single to right, before Sharum was cut down trying to steal second to end the inning.
Emmy Bowne held the Golden Eagles off the board in the bottom of the first and the CSP bats got back to work in the second, starting with a Nora Brandt one out walk. Gabby Martinez followed with a single to left center, before Emmy Bowne shot an RBI single to right to get CSP on the board.
In the next at bat, Lily Burke lined a single to center to put the Golden Bears up by a pair in the early going.
CSP added on with two more in the third, starting with a Danni Sharum leadoff walk and Katie Klotz reaching on a UMC error followed by Brandt's second walk of the game. Gabby Martinez stepped into the box and lofted a fly ball to left, plating Ashlyn Peterson via the sac fly to make it 3-0.
A wild pitch and subsequent throwing error by the UMC catcher allowed Klotz to score, making it a 4-0 CSP advantage.
In the top of the fourth the Golden Bears broke the game wide open, plating three runs on four hits after Alexis Monty got the inning started with a bunt single and steal of second. Monty later came around to score on a Rosenthal groundout to short, followed by Katie Klotz hitting a deep flyball to right and a drop by the Crookston right fielder allowing the run to score as CSP pushed the lead to six.
Nora Brandt lined a ball to center for a sac fly and an RBI to make it a 7-0 CSP advantage.
Bowne continued to put zeros on the board, holding the Golden Eagles in check in the fourth and fifth innings. The starter retired the side in order in the sixth and in the seventh ended the game on a 4-6-3 double play to secure the 7-0 CSP victory.
Game Two: CSP 5, UMC 1
After failing to score in their first turn at the plate, Tatum Dunlavy took the circle and retired the side in order in the bottom of the first.
The CSP bats got going in the second, starting with a pair of singles from Bryleigh Dana and Nora Brandt. Dunlavy dug in for her first at bat of the day and shot a two out RBI single to left to get the Golden Bears on the board, Brandt was cut down trying to go second to home to end the inning.
Lily Burke led off the third with a single to center, before Alexis Monty legged out a fielder's choice and Ava Blake got on with a single to right. With two on and two out, Danni Sharum came up with the big swing, launching a three-run roundtripper to right to open up a 4-0 CSP advantage.
Crookston loaded the bases in the bottom of the fourth and got one back on a sacrifice fly to center, but Dunlavy limited the damage to just one run with a groundout to Rosenthal at second.
Abi Carter entered with one out in the bottom of the fifth and got the remaining eight outs for the Golden Bears.
Leading 4-1 in the seventh, Gabby Martinez strode to the plate and added to the CSP lead with a one out solo homer to right center to record the first roundtripper of her collegiate career to put the Golden Bears up by four.
Carter recorded the final three outs in the bottom half of the inning to pick up her third save of the year, securing the 5-1 win and the sweep for CSP.
