Bulldogs stay perfect at home with sweep of Doane
The Concordia University, Nebraska, softball team remained perfect in the confines of Plum Creek Park, sweeping Doane College on Tuesday, March 27. The Bulldogs took game one, 3-2, in nine innings. In the night cap, Concordia bested the Tigers, 7-3.
Following Tuesday's action, Concordia evened its overall record at 8-8 and moved to 4-2 in Great Plains Athletic Conference play. Doane, meanwhile, fell to 8-14 overall and 0-2 in GPAC action.
Game One: Concordia 3, Doane 2 (9 innings)
Tied 2-2 with two outs in the ninth inning, junior Natalie Svoboda (Lincoln, Neb.) and sophomore Shelby Morose (Claremore, Okla.) imposed their will on the Doane Tigers.
After the first two Concordia hitters were retired in the ninth, Svoboda lifted a bloop single into right field. The very next pitch, Svoboda swiped second to put herself in scoring position. Down in the count 0-2, Morose followed her teammates lead by lifting a short single to right field. Svoboda raced around third and dove into home just inches ahead of the tag to secure a victory in the opening game.
Setting the stage for Svoboda and Morose took a bit more time. Concordia scratched the scoreboard first with a run in the second as freshman Molly Madsen (Thornton, Colo.) drew a leadoff walk. Sophomore Amber Topil (Seward, Neb.) dropped a sacrifice bunt towards third, but an errant throw allowed Madsen to come all the way around the bases and sent Topil to third.
Doane tied the game in the top of the third on a hit and an error, but Concordia struck right back in the bottom of the third on a walk to senior Alyssa Bauwens (Perryville, Mo.) and a two-out RBI double into right-center by sophomore Amanda Baldwin (Wilber, Neb.).
The game remained 2-1 until the top of the sixth when Doane knotted the game on three singles.
Concordia senior Nicole Sempek (Columbus, Neb.) earned the victory (5-3) with a complete game. She allowed two runs (one earned) on eight hits and two walks in nine innings.
Doane's Megan Wingate suffered the loss (3-1) despite a solid effort in relief. Wingate allowed one run on three hits in 3.2 innings.
Game Two: Concordia 7, Doane 3
While the first game provided a dramatic ending, game two was over early. Concordia plated seven runs in the first three innings to cruise to the 7-3 win.
The Bulldogs' offense got started in the bottom of the second on Svoboda reached on a walk, went to second on a sacrifice by Morose, then scored on a RBI single by Bauwens.
Doane pulled even with a single run in the top of the second, which seemed only to motivate Concordia. The Bulldogs put up five runs on four hits, a walk and an error.
Madsen got the Concordia rally started with a single up the middle. After to second on a sacrifice by Topil, sophomore Amanda Beeson (Waverly, Neb.) reached on an error that sent Madsen to third. Junior Nicole Mapes (Greeley, Colo.) plated Madsen via a single to right. One out later, Morose delivered a two-run triple down the left field line to make it 4-1.
Morose came in to score herself moments later on a wild pitch, but the Bulldogs weren't done. Senior Mikaela Klein (Grand Island, Neb.) drew a two-out walk, then Bauwens blasted an RBI double up the middle.
Concordia added another run in the third as Madsen doubled to left and came around on back-to-back ground outs.
Beeson (2-5) earned the victory with seven innings of work. She allowed three runs on eight hits and one walk, while notching five strikeouts.
Doane starter, Jenna Alswager, fell to 1-1 on the year. She surrendered five runs on four hits and a walk in 1.1 innings.
The Bulldogs are back in action tomorrow, Wednesday, March 28 as Concordia hosts Central Christian College for a doubleheader beginning at 5 p.m.