ST. PAUL, Minn. — The Concordia-St. Paul softball team (28-23, 17-11 NSIC) got the final weekend of the regular season started off right with a doubleheader sweep of the Bemidji State Beavers (10-41, 4-24 NSIC) on Friday afternoon at Carlander Field. With the sweep the Golden Bears are now alone in sixth place in the NSIC standings with two games to play, opening up a one game lead on Minot State and Sioux Falls.
The doubleheader served as Senior Day for CSP with Makayla Wigern, Riley Rosenthal and Danni Sharum being honored for their contributions to the CSP softball program prior to first pitch. Freshman Leah French also received the Munkwitz Award, given to a Golden Bear softball player for their dedication, leadership, work ethic, perseverance and being a great teammate.
Homers powered the Golden Bear offense throughout the afternoon as a three-run bomb off the bat of Alexis Monty put CSP up 4-0 in the second inning of game one, with CSP going on to take game one, 7-0. In game two, the CSP bats continued to swing it well with a six run bottom of the first getting the scoring started, the Golden Bears sent 11 batters to the plate in the inning opening up a 6-2 lead and going on to win 12-4 in five innings.
Alexis Monty turned in two more multi-hit performances at the plate, the junior is now riding a nine game hitting streak at the plate and she's tallied multiple hits in seven of those games. Monty collected two hits in three trips to the plate in game one, launching her third homer of the season in the second inning. In game two Monty notched three hits in four at bats, legging out her seventh triple of the season in the third inning.
Across both games the junior racked up five RBI and two extra base hits while stealing one base, the hot streak raises her average to .348 on the season.
Senior Danni Sharum has three knocks in seven trips to the plate, including her team leading seventh roundtripper in the third inning of game two. Across both games Sharum collected two extra base hits and four RBI. The senior backstop has recorded a hit in each of her last five games with three multi-hit games mixed in.
Emmy Bowne took the circle in game one and tossed 7.o innings, giving up just two hits while walking only one batter while picking up a strikeout. Bowne also notched her 16th complete game of the season and improved to 14-11 in the circle.
Tatum Dunalvy tossed 4.0 innings in game two, giving up three earned runs, with one strikeout to earn the win and improve t0 9-8 this season.
The Golden Bears will wrap up the regular season with a doubleheader against the Minnesota Duluth Bulldogs at Carlander Field tomorrow afternoon. First pitch of game one is set for 12 p.m.
Game One: CSP 7, BSU 0
Emmy Bowne worked around a pair of Beaver singles in the first inning, picking up a strikeout and a popup to first to hold BSU off the board in the first. After the one out single Bowne went on to retire the next 12 Beaver batters while holding them out of the hit column for the remainder of the game.
The CSP offense got going in the bottom of the second, starting with a one out single up the middle off the bat of Lily Burke, later swiping second. Gabby Martinez shot another single through the left side to put two on with one out.
Ashlyn Peterson laid down a perfect sacrifice bunt, bringing home Burke from third to get the Golden Bears on the board.
With two on and two out, Alexis Monty barreled one up, sending a homer over the 210 foot sign in dead center field to open up a 4-0 CSP advantage.
CSP piled on in the bottom of the fourth, starting with a Ashlyn Peterson double to left, before Alexis Monty RBI single down the third base line, reaching second on an errant throw by the Beaver left fielder.
Danni Sharum picked up her first extra base hit of the afternoon with a two RBI double to left center to plate Blake and Monty, giving CSP a 7-0 lead.
The Golden Bears continued to hold the Beavers in check from three, as Emmy Bowne worked around a walk and hit by pitch to close things out in the seventh, picking up the win and her 16th complete game of the season. In addition Bowne picked up her fourth shutout of the season as CSP took game one, 7-0.
Game Two: CSP 12, BSU 4 (5 Inn.)
The Beavers played small ball in the early going of game two, legging out an infield single and laying down a pair of bunts to load the bases. Lauren Beissel plated two in the top of the first on a two RBI single to right to give Bemidji a 2-0 lead.
Tatum Dunlavy managed to limit the damage, retiring the next three batters to get out of the inning.
The Golden Bear lineup got to work right away in the bottom of the first, Alexis Monty led off the inning with a single to left, followed by an Ava Blake walk. CSP executed a double steal to get both runners in to scoring position and Riley Rosenthal lined a two RBI single to right to tie things up.
Danni Sharum reached on a dropped fly ball by the Beaver center fielder, followed by Katie Klotz reaching on a miscue by the shortstop to load the bases once more Bryleigh Dana put CSP ahead with a sacrifice fly and RBI to right, before Rylie Rasmussen doubled the lead with a RBI double down the left field line.
Alexis Monty capped the inning with a RBI single to center to make it 6-2. In total 11 Golden Bears came to the plate, with CSP plating six runs on four hits and two BSU errors.
CSP put together another big inning in the third, after a Lily Burke launched her second homer of the season, a two-run bomb to left to make it 8-2. Later in the inning a Riley Rosenthal sac fly made it 9-2 before Danni Sharum put an exclamation point on the inning with a solo big fly to right center to make it 10-2.
The Beavers chipped away with two in the fourth, but CSP plated two more on a wild pitch and RBI bases loaded walk from Sharum.
Makayla Wigern took the circle in the fifth looking to shut the door on Bemidji State, two Beavers reached on an error and a walk, but Wigern retired the next three batters to cap the 12-4 win and the CSP sweep.
