ST. PAUL, Minn. — The Concordia-St. Paul softball team wraps up the regular season with a pair of doubleheaders at Carlander Field this weekend. The remaining four games could prove pivotal in terms of seeding for the NSIC Tournament as two games separate the fourth through 10th seeds in the conference entering the final weekend of play.
On Saturday, May 2 the Golden Bears will take on the Bemidji State Beavers for a doubleheader with start times of 12 p.m. and 2 p.m. Saturday's doubleheader will also serve as Senior Day for CSP, with three seniors, Makayla Wigern, Riley Rosenthal and Danni Sharum, being honored prior to first pitch.
Sunday's May 3 doubleheader against Minnesota Duluth will serve as the regular season finale for CSP with start times set for 12 p.m. and 2 p.m. at Carlander Field.
NSIC Outlook
With a record of 15-11 in the NSIC and 26-23 overall the Golden Bears currently sit in a tie for fifth place in the conference with the Southwest Minnesota State Mustangs. CSP sits one game out of fourth place behind Augustana and Minnesota State who are tied at 16-10 entering the final weekend. Minnesota State, Sioux Falls and Minot State are tied for the remaining three spots in the tournament at 14-12 one game behind CSP.
Winona State and St. Cloud State are tied atop the conference at 22-4, while Wayne State sits in second place with a record of 18-8.
The top six teams in the tournament receive a first round bye, with the seven through 10 seeds competing in the first round for the remaining two spots in the quarterfinals. The NSIC Tournament is set to take place May 6-9 at Bowden Field in Sioux Falls, South Dakota.
Last Time Out
The Golden Bears went 3-3 across six games last week, dropping both ends of a midweek doubleheader against St. Cloud State, before splitting with MSU Moorhead on Saturday and taking both games on the road against Minnesota Crookston on Sunday.
Danni Sharum led the way at the plate for CSP, putting together a .467/.579/.933 slash line across all six games, while smacking two three-run home runs, driving in nine runs and drawing four walks without striking out.
Alexis Monty posted a .476/.500/.762 slash line with 10 hits in 21 at bats out of the leadoff spot. Monty smacked two doubles and two triples, while driving in two runs and scoring seven. Lily Burke batted .385 with five hits in 13 trips to the plate, drawing three walks and stealing three bases in three attempts.
Freshman third baseman Gabby Martinez batted .357 with a .571 slugging percentage across six games. Martinez's highlight of the week came in game two on Sunday against Crookston when she launched a solo homer to right for her first career roundtripper to extend the CSP lead to 5-1 in the seventh inning.
In the circle, Emmy Bowne made three starts with a 2-1 record and a 3.43 ERA in 16.1 innings pitched with six strikeouts to one walk. Bowne capped her week with a 7.0 inning complete game shoutout against Minnesota Crookston on Sunday afternoon. At the plate Bowne notched two hits in seven at bats with two RBI.
Tatum Dunlavy made three starts with a 1-1 record and a 3.91 ERA in 14.1 innings pitched. Dunlavy batted .429 with a .571 slugging percentage, the sophomore notched her first career hit with a leadoff single in the bottom of the first against St. Cloud on Tuesday. On Sunday afternoon she recorded her first career extra base hit with a two out RBI double to left in game two against Crookston.
Abi Carter made two relief appearances with a 1.17 ERA in 6.0 innings pitched with two strikeouts.
Golden Bears by the Numbers
Danni Sharum leads the Golden Bears with a .964 OPS this season, posting a .325/.455/.509 slash line at the plate. Sharum has 13 hits in her last 12 games, with three home runs and 12 RBI. The senior catcher currently leads the team in homers with six and RBI with 30, while raising her season average 36 points from .289 to .325 over the past 12 games.
Shortstop Alexis Monty has a .936 OPS this season while posting a team leading .331 average and .513 slugging percentage, with a .423 on-base percentage. Monty ranks fourth in the NSIC with six triples, while smacking 10 doubles and two home runs. On the base paths Monty ranks sixth in the conference with 17 stolen bases in 21 attempts.
Riley Rosenthal has a .325/.343/.408 slash line this season, while leading the Golden Bears with 55 hits, with five doubles, three triples and one home run.
Ava Blake continues to swing it well this season with a .316 average and a career high 10 doubles, two triples and 18 RBI. Lily Burke leads the team in stolen bases and ranks fifth in the NSIC with 20 in 22 attempts.
In 27 games this season Bryleigh Dana has a .303 average with four doubles and 10 RBI, Katie Klotz has appeared in 35 games with a .265 average, two doubles, two home runs and 13 RBI.
In the circle, Emmy Bowne leads the Golden Bears with a 13-11 record in 25 starts, posting a 3.06 ERA in 146.1 innings pitched. Bowne's 15 complete games rank fifth in the NSIC while ranking sixth in the conference in innings. The right hander leads CSP with 70 strikeouts to 38 walks this season.
Tatum Dunlavy has made 24 starts with a 9-8 record and a 3.26 ERA in 113.2 innings pitched. Dunlavy has tossed six complete games with 54 punchouts.
Abi Carter has made 23 relief appearances with 1.51 ERA, the second lowest in the NSIC, in 60.1 innings pitched. Carter is tied for second in the NSIC with three saves this season as well.
CSP boasts the fifth best pitching staff in the NSIC this season with a 3.00 ERA, while holding a 12-2 record when holding opponents to two runs or fewer. In addition the Golden Bears are 16-5 when scoring first this season and 20-2 when holding a lead after four innings this season.
Bemidji State, Saturday, May 2 - 12 p.m. and 2 p.m.
Series Record: CSP 45, BSU 11
With a history dating back to 2000 the Golden Bears hold a 45-11 record against the Beavers across 56 matchups. CSP took 25 of the first 27 meetings in the series, in more recent history the Golden Bears have won 11 of the last 15 games against Bemidji with CSP having won each of the last five games in the series. Last Season CSP swept BSU in a doubleheader at Northwestern-St. Paul in Rosenville, outscoring the Beavers 23-4 across both games.
The Beavers have a 10-39 overall record with a 4-22 record in NSIC play this season, they currently sit in 15th place in the conference standings. Bemidji ranks near the bottom of the conference in both hitting and pitching with a team average of .261 and a team ERA of 6.35.
Alayna DeGraef leads the Beavers with a .857 OPS this season and a .351/.420/.437 slash line. DeGraef also leads the team with 10 doubles while driving in 22 runs with one home run.
Jackie Larsen is batting .354 this season with a .777 OPS while smacking three doubles and driving in 14 runs. Calleigh Richards has a .782 OPS this season while leading the team with two home runs and driving in 19 runs.
In the circle, Sydney Klusman has made 15 starts with a 4-11 and a 5.69 ERA in 83.2 innings pitched, with a 28-29 K-BB ratio. Danica Sarff has a 4-9 record in 13 starts with a 5.32 ERA in 79.0 innings pitched, with a team leading 50 strikeouts to 79 walks.
The Beavers are coached by Jordan Perterson, who is in her fifth season at the helm in Bemidji. She has posted a 69-135 record in her time with the Beavers.
Minnesota Duluth, Sunday, May 3 - 12 p.m. and 2 p.m.
Series Record: CSP 30, UMD 45
In 75 all time meetings the Bulldogs have the upper hand with a 45-30 record dating back the 2000 season. The Golden Bears did manage a nine game winning streak against the Bulldogs from the 2004 to 2007 seasons. Last season CSP split the Conference doubleheader, while UMD took both games in non-conference play.
The Bulldogs currently sit one game behind the Golden Bears in the standings entering the final weekend of the regular season with a 14-12 record in NSIC play. Overall UMD has a 29-20 record this season.
UMD ranks sixth in batting with a team average of .304, while boasting a team ERA of 3.78 in the circle which ranks 10th in the NSIC.
Ava Johnson is the Bulldogs leading hitter this season with a 1.134 OPS and a .353/.487/.647 slash line. Johnson is tied for the team lead with eight home runs while driving in 30 runs.
Daphne Evans has a 1.021 OPS with a .338/.421/.600 slash line while smacking seven home runs and driving in 37 runs. Sierra Thomas has a .981 OPS with a .307/.417/.564 slash line, eight home runs and 35 RBI.
In the circle, the Bulldogs are led by Emmie Sylvia-Cochran who has a 3.84 ERA with a 14-7 record in 23 starts, with 122 strikeouts to 69 walks in 122.0 innings pitched. Allyssa Williams has a 4.05 ERA and 10-11 record in 21 starts with 68 strikeouts to 30 walks in 110.2 innings pitched.
Nat Wagner is the head coach of the Bulldogs and is in his second season at the helm in Duluth.
