SIOUX CENTER, Iowa – Following a substandard first five innings of action on Sunday (Feb. 2), Concordia University, Nebraska Softball ramped up offensively in time to power a doubleheader sweep of Culver-Stockton College (Mo.). Grace Maguire delivered a walk-off RBI single to lift the Bulldogs to a 7-6 win in game one, leading into an 13-2 blowout victory in game two. Kylie Shottenkirk collected multiple hits in both ends of the twin bill played inside the American State Bank Sports Complex in Sioux Center, Iowa.
Head Coach Brock Culler’s squad went 3-1 in its opening weekend of the 2025 season. Concordia also earned a 5-0 win over Mayville State University (N.D.) on Saturday.
“Culver-Stockton came out very aggressively and they were all over us,” Culler said. “Then Jordan Head came in and changed the pace and slowed their offense down. Offensively, we weren’t aggressive enough and that’s how we got in a hole. Jordan did a great job and Grace Maguire coming up with that hit was huge. It was just a great at bat. I’m happy for our team. That really took the wind out of their sails and we kept that momentum going.”
It took a dramatic comeback in game one for Concordia to prevail. Down 5-0 after five innings, the Bulldogs chipped away with a pair of runs in the bottom of the sixth thanks to consecutive hits by Grace Zaugg (single), Aubriana Krieser (double) and Shottenkirk (two-run double). Krieser then kickstarted the rally in the seventh with a two-run single that was followed by an RBI double from Shottenkirk and a game-tying RBI single from Taryn Ganstrom. That set the stage for Maguire. With two on and two out, Maguire singled to left center, chasing Jennifer Katz home for the walk-off run.
While the Papillion, Neb., native Maguire emerged as the hero at the plate in game one, Hastings, Neb., native Jordan Head shined in the circle. In relief of Megan Eurich (five runs allowed in two innings), Head worked five frames and surrendered just one run on three hits (one strikeout). In retiring 15 of the 18 batters she faced, Head picked up the first win of her collegiate career.
Game two was a drama-less affair. Concordia removed all doubt by exploding for eight runs in the second inning, four runs in the fourth and one in the fifth in the process of enacting the run rule. Shottenkirk carried over her hot hitting from last season by rocketing five doubles on Sunday. In game two, four Bulldogs notched multiple hits: Katz (2-for-3 with a double and two RBIs), Aubrey Bruning (2-for-2 with a double, a run and an RBI), Shottenkirk (3-for-3 with three doubles) and Delanie Voshell (2-for-3 with two runs and two RBIs). Zoie Isom also produced a two-run double in the fourth inning.
In Sunday’s game one, four Bulldogs also rapped out at least two hits: Krieser (3-for-4 with two RBIs), Zaugg (2-for-2), Ganstrom (2-for-4) and Shottenkirk (2-for-4 with three RBIs). Concordia hitters burned Wildcat pitching for a combined 29 hits in the doubleheader. Culver-Stockton slipped to 0-6 with all six defeats coming at the hands of GPAC opponents.
In the circle, Kaylei Denison earned her second win of the weekend. The sophomore from Waverly, Neb., covered all five innings of game two and limited the damage to two runs on seven hits and two walks to go along with two strikeouts. Denison fired a seven-inning, two-hit shutout versus Mayville State on Saturday.
Said Culler, “When we’re swinging the bats, this team is going to be tough. It seemed like every time Kylie put the ball in play it was a double. Kylie and Jen were rolling. We have a lot of good players and good depth. We can plug kids in where we need them. It was a full team effort … We really liked what we saw from Kaylei Denison this weekend.”
The Bulldogs will return to action next weekend with road doubleheaders at Ottawa University (Kan.) on Feb. 8 and at No. 18 Benedictine College (Kan.) on Feb. 9. Ottawa is a member of the Kansas Collegiate Athletic Conference while Benedictine competes in the Heart of America Athletic Conference.