Concordia bounces back by sweeping Dordt

The Concordia University, Nebraska, softball team rebounded from two losses on Friday, with back-to-back victories over Dordt College on Saturday, March 24.  

Concordia claimed a 2-0 in the opening game of the doubleheader, then completed the sweep with a 4-2 win.  Following the sweep, the Bulldogs are 6-8 this season and 2-2 in the Great Plains Athletic Conference.  Dordt fell to 7-13 overall and 0-2 in GPAC play. 

Game One: Concordia 2, Dordt 0

Senior Nicole Sempek (Columbus, Neb.) made certain the Bulldogs would return to the win column, recording nine strikeouts and limiting Dordt to just three hits in the complete game victory (5-3). The shutout was Sempek's third in 2012. 

Concordia got all the offense it needed in the third inning as freshman Regan Doiel (Millard, Neb.) and junior Natalie Svoboda (Lincoln, Neb.) notched back-to-back singles with one out.  The next batter, sophomore Shelby Morose (Claremore, Okla.) dropped a sacrifice bunt down.  An errant throw allowed both Doiel and Svoboda to score and sent Morose to second. 

Sempek made the two runs hold up, holding Dordt to just four base runners in the contest. 

Dordt's Kacy Oberfoell was the tough luck loser (3-6) allowing two unearned runs on six hits in seven innings. 

Game Two:  Concordia 4, Dordt 2

The finale Saturday afternoon saw Dordt jump out to a 2-0 lead with single runs in the second and fourth innings.  

In the top of the fifth sophomore Kelsey Timmerman (O'Neill, Neb.) started a three-run rally by reaching on an error.  With one out in the inning, Timmerman reached on an error by Dordt's third baseman, Haley Huisman.  Doiel followed with an infield single to put Bulldogs at first and second.  Svoboda then blasted a two-run double in left-center field to knot the game at 2-2. The hit parade continued as Morose singled to right, plating Svoboda.  

Doiel factored in the Bulldogs final run as well, leading off the seventh with a single.  Two outs later she scampered home on an RBI double off the bat of junior Angela Harstad (Lewiston, Minn.)

Concordia sophomore Amanda Beeson (Waverly, Neb.) picked up her first win (1-5) of the season, allowing two runs on four hits and a walk in seven innings. 

Dordt's Sidney Larsen took the loss (4-5), giving up four runs on 10 hits and a walk.  

The Bulldogs return to action on Tuesday, March 27 as Concordia hosts Doane College for a GPAC doubleheader beginning at 4 pm