SIOUX FALLS, S.D. — The Concordia-St. Paul softball team (29-25, 18-12 NSIC) saw its season come to an end as they fell, 3-2 to the third-seeded Wayne State Wildcats (42-13, 21-9 NSIC) in the NSIC Quarterfinals on a sunny afternoon at Bowden Field in Sioux Falls.
It was closely contested throughout as CSP put up four hits to Wayne's five, while the Golden Bears left four runners on base to the Wildcats three.
Riley Rosenthal put together a 2-3 afternoon at the plate or CSP, driving in both of the Golden Bears runs on their only extra base hit, a triple to right in the third inning. The senior also came up with a single in the sixth inning, swiping second base to get into scoring position as the go ahead run.
Alexis Monty and Lily Burke both went 1-3 with a run scored. Burke managed a steal of second as well.
Emmy Bowne got the start and turned in a strong outing, going all six innings for CSP, while giving up three earned runs on five hits, issuing just one walk and collecting five strikeouts. Bowne ends the season with a 14-12 record in the circle and a 3.05 ERA.
Alexis Monty led off the game with a loud out number one on a lineout to third base. Ava Blake worked a walk to get on as CSP's first base runner, but a fielder's choice and a fly out ended CSP's threat in the first.
Wayne got to work with a leadoff single through the left side of the infield in the bottom half of the inning. The Wildcats later took the first lead of the game on a two-run home run to left.
In the top of the third, Lily Burke led off the inning with the Golden Bears first hit, shooting a single up the middle. Burke later stole second and Alexis Monty lined another single to center to put two on with no one out for CSP.
One batter later, Riley Rosenthal barreled up the first pitch of her at bat, shooting it past a diving Wayne right fielder to plate two and get all the way to third on a triple.
A short pop fly to second base and a strikeout stranded the go ahead run at third however and the game remained tied at two.
Bowne retired the side in order in the bottom of the third and worked around a one out single in the fourth to keep the game knotted at two.
CSP threatened once more in the sixth as Riley Rosenthal led off the inning with a single to left field. Rosenthal later stole second to get into scoring position with one out, later advancing to third on a groundout to second. But the key two out knock eluded CSP after a flyout to straightway center.
Wayne led off the bottom of the sixth with a double off the centerfield wall, to get the go ahead run into scoring position. A well executed sac bunt advanced the runner to third, before a line drive single to center plated the go ahead run.
CSP couldn't get anything going in the seventh, as Wayne retired the side in order to grab the 3-2 and advance to the NSIC Semifinals.
The Golden Bears season ends with a 29-25 record, they are now 41-32 all-time at the NSIC Tournament.
