Bulldogs finish regular season with sweep of Mount Marty

Concordia University picked up 4-0 and 5-3 softball wins over Mount Marty on Saturday in games played at Sioux City.  With the wins, Concordia finished the regular season with a 25-15 overall record and a 14-8 mark in the GPAC.  Mount Marty dropped to 8-24 overall and 6-14 in conference play. 

Concordia scattered nine hits offensively and used a strong pitching performance from Nicole Sempek to pick up the 4-0 win in game one.  The Bulldogs scored single runs in the first, second, fourth and sixth innings.  Natalie Svoboda (Lincoln, Neb.) delivered an RBI single in the first, and Amanda Baldwin (Wilber, Neb.) added an RBI single in the second.  Svoboda added another RBI single in the fourth, and Concordia’s fourth run of the game was an unearned run in the sixth. 

Nicole Baker (Arvada, Colo.) and Svoboda each had two hits to pace the Bulldog offense in the win.  Sempek (Columbus, Neb.) was in cruise control on the mound for Concordia.  Mount Marty finished with just two hits (both in the third inning).  Sempek didn’t walk anyone and struck out 10 in the game. 

The Bulldogs needed a big seventh inning to pick up the 5-3 win in game two.  The game remained scoreless until the bottom of the fourth.  Mount Marty plated an unearned run to take a 1-0 lead.  Concordia tied the game in the sixth on an RBI single by Mikaela Klein (Grand Island, Neb.).  The Bulldogs also took advantage of two Mount Marty errors in the inning. 

In the top of the seventh, Concordia scored four runs on four hits and two more Mount Marty errors.  Kelsey Timmerman (O’Neill, Neb.) and Natalie Svoboda each had RBI singles to highlight the inning for the Bulldogs.  Mount Marty scored a pair of runs in the bottom of the seventh to make things interesting, but Concordia held on for the victory. 

Klein was 2-for-4 with an RBI to lead the way offensively for Concordia.  Five different players drove in single runs for the Bulldogs.  Sempek again picked up the win on the mound in game two.  She worked all seven innings and allowed the three runs (two earned) on seven hits with one walk and three strikeouts. 

Concordia will advance to the GPAC Tournament to be held in Sioux City from May 5-7.