SIOUX CITY, Iowa – A Tori Homolka homer helped spur the Concordia University softball team to a 6-4 victory over Mount Marty as GPAC postseason play began Thursday (May 2) morning at the Jensen Softball Complex in Sioux City, Iowa. What happened next is something the Bulldogs hope to quickly flush and put behind them. Host Morningside run-ruled Concordia, 9-1 (six innings), in the afternoon.
The 1-1 day keeps head coach Shawn Semler’s squad alive in the double elimination format. The third-seeded Bulldogs (27-11) will stick around on Friday for a noon first pitch.
“That game against Mount Marty was a little scary,” Semler said. “They kind of jumped out on Camry (Moore) and were hitting the ball well and we struggled a bit. I was a little worried, but then we made some adjustments and started hitting. We needed a little spark. It was fun to see the girls step up and not
Five days after finishing the regular season with a walk-off, three-run blast, Homolka jolted Concordia to life with a solo shot leading off the bottom of the third versus Mount Marty. The Bulldogs still trailed 4-1 before Homolka’s RBI infield single made it 4-2 in the fourth. An inning later, Concordia gave pitcher Camry Moore the support she needed via a barrage of doubles. Elanna Osthoff, Savanah Robertson (two-run double) and MacKinsey Schmidt each delivered RBI two-baggers, boosting the Bulldogs to a 6-4 advantage.
Moore settled in after a rough third inning against the sixth-seeded Lancers (22-23). She limited Mount Marty to three earned runs on five hits and no walks while striking out five. In the win, Hhana Haro, Homolka and Osthoff, who doubled and tripled.
Concordia is now 3-0 against Mount Marty having swept it in a regular season doubleheader that was played in Sioux City. The Lancers stayed alive later in the day by defeating College of Saint Mary in an elimination game. Makenzi Howard drove in two runs off of Moore on Thursday.
The good vibes did not carry over to the afternoon affair with the Mustangs (27-8), who shared the GPAC regular season title with Midland and is the league’s No. 2 seed. Morningside burned Bulldog pitching for four home runs, including two from Lexie Stolen and one apiece from Ellie Cropley and Morgan Nixon. Concordia got its lone run on Schmidt’s RBI single in the fifth.
Bulldog hitters continue to struggle with Morningside ace pitcher Hallie Misiaszek, who has beaten Concordia three times this season. She whirled a six-inning complete game while holding the Bulldogs to one run on five hits.
It will be no easy task on Friday with Concordia needing to claim three victories in order to get out of the Morningside Bracket and advance to Saturday’s GPAC championship series. The Bulldogs and Lancers will go head-to-head in the opening game on Friday. The loser is out while the winner will then take on the Mustangs, who went 2-0 on Thursday. These are the moments Concordia needs to seize if it is to take another step forward as a program.
“We had a long talk after that second game today,” Semler said. “We had a whole array of issues that surfaced. We had an awakening type of meeting with how we want to play. Game two today was the exact opposite of how we want to be known. We let our players do a lot of the talking actually. Hopefully we can get another shot at Morningside. Talent-wise, it’s there. We have to match the intensity of our opponent.”