Bulldogs sweep on final day of spring break tournament

Concordia picked up two wins on the final day of their spring break tournament in Arizona.  The Bulldogs cruised past Iowa Wesleyan 11-2 and then picked up an exciting 2-1 win over Park University.  Concordia has won three straight and is now 6-4 on the year.  

Concordia had little trouble with Iowa Wesleyan in the opening game of the day.  The Bulldogs scored in five of the seven innings.  Concordia totaled 11 hits in the game, and the Bulldogs also took advantage of five Iowa Wesleyan errors in the contest. 

Nicole Mapes (Greeley, Colo.) went 3-for-4 with two RBI’s and two runs scored, while Clarissa Eloge (Rising City, Neb.) was 2-for-3 with three runs scored.  Nicole Baker (Arvada, Colo.) added two hits with an RBI and a run scored for the Bulldogs. 

Elizabeth Young (Grand Prairie, Texas) worked all seven innings and picked up the win on the mound for the Bulldogs.  Young (2-1) allowed two runs (one earned) on nine hits with one walk and nine strikeouts on the day. 

Game two of the day was a pitching dual between Nicole Sempek and Kalla Jones.  Concordia had eight hits in the game, while Park totaled seven hits.  However, the pitching and defense was strong with runners on, as both teams left eight runners on base. 

The game remained scoreless until the bottom of the fifth inning.  An RBI single by Eloge scored Baker to give Concordia a 1-0 advantage.  In the top of the sixth inning, Park University tied the game at 1-1 on an RBI single by Kalla Jones.   

Following a scoreless bottom of the sixth and top of the seventh, Concordia got its chance to win the game in the bottom of the seventh.  Amanda Baldwin (Wilber, Neb.) singled with one out in the inning.  Baker followed with a double to put runners at second and third.  Natalie Svoboda (Lincoln, Neb.) then delivered an RBI single up the middle to score Baldwin and give the Bulldogs the 2-1 victory. 

Baker and Baldwin had two hits apiece to pace Concordia offensively.  Baker is now hitting a team-best .531 (17-of-32) on the year.  Sempek (3-1) went the distance on the mound, allowing just one run on seven hits with no walks and six strikeouts on the day.

Weather and field conditions permitting, Concordia is scheduled to host Bellevue University on March 16 in the 2011 home opener.  First pitch is scheduled for 5 p.m. at Plum Creek Park.