TUCSON, Ariz. – On day one of the Tucson Invitational, the Concordia University Softball team experienced both sides of run-rule shortened contests. In action from Lincoln Park in Tucson, Ariz., on Monday (March 7), the Bulldogs took their lumps in an 8-0 loss to William Penn University (Iowa) before responding with an 11-1 thumping of Roosevelt University (Ill.). Both games ended in five innings.
Concordia is back in Tucson for the first time since the 2019 season. It was a quick turnaround for Head Coach Tatum Edwards’ squad, which had just played four games at the Friends Invitational (March 4-5). The Bulldogs are 10-4 overall.
“We recovered really well after getting run-ruled the first game. We came out the second game and from pitch one, I could tell the kids were locked in,” Edwards said. “They bounced back really well. That’s what I’m most proud of.
“Our hitting was contagious in that second game. We swung at good pitches and hit the ball hard while not trying to do too much. We executed really well with some bunts and moving people over. When we can get on a roll like that, it’s fun.”
Two mammoth second innings were the story in both of Monday’s games. Concordia surrendered eight runs in the second to William Penn and could not recover. However, the Bulldogs returned the favor on Roosevelt and struck for nine runs in the second inning of that contest. Two errors helped Concordia’s cause, but it made things happen itself with seven hits and a walk in the frame.
In that nine-run inning, RBI at bats were produced by Kylee Nixon (sac fly), Hanna Bowers (single), Lex Campos (single), Camry Moore (triple), Julia Van Wey (triple) and Nixon (double) again. Catcher Taylor Glause added the exclamation mark in the fourth with a two-run blast for her first career home run as a Bulldog. Bowers, Glause and Van Wey all came through with two hits apiece in the win.
It was more than enough run support for Moore, who now owns a 6-1 pitching record this season. The Concordia ace threw all five innings and allowed one run on three hits and no walks to go along with three strikeouts. In Monday’s first game, Jerzi Rowe started in the circle and Megan Eurich appeared in relief.
The William Penn (3-5) pitchers Ashton Brown (four innings) and Bianca Castillo (one inning). Caitlyn and McGarvie both notched a double in the loss but were stranded on base. The Statesmen scored eight runs on nine hits in the second inning.
Said Edwards, “I think we need to stay true to who we are as a team against anybody. If we do that, we’re going to give ourselves a chance to win.”
The Bulldogs will play twice more on Tuesday with action scheduled for 2:30 p.m. MT / 3:30 p.m. CT versus University of St. Francis (Ill.) and for 4:45 p.m. MT / 5:45 p.m. CT versus ninth-ranked Olivet Nazarene University (Ill.). The locations will be field 8 for the first game and field 5 for the second game at Lincoln Park.