SEWARD, Neb. – With a 4-0 weekend, Concordia has set itself up for a Dawg fight trying to grab third place in the regular season standings. The Bulldogs are set to face Morningside in Sioux City and finish the final scheduled games of the 2023-24 campaign in Plum Creek Park. They will face off against Dordt on Saturday (Apr. 27). CUNE has caught fire, winning their last 9-of-10 games and finishing off Briar Cliff plus Mount Marty on the road.
This Week
Tuesday, April 22 at Morningside (17-22, 11-7 GPAC), 3 p.m. DH
--Live Webcast | Live Stats: Game 1 - Game 2 | Location: Jensen Softball Complex (Sioux City, Iowa)
Saturday, April 27 vs Dordt (25-20, 12-6 GPAC), 1 p.m. DH
--Live Webcast | Live Stats: Game 1 – Game 2 | Location: Plum Creek Park (Seward, NE)
By the numbers
· It seemed like Aubriana Krieser and Kylie Shottenkirk renamed Sioux City to Home Run City for the Bulldogs, after totaling a combined four home runs in the two wins (6-3, 6-3) versus Briar Cliff. The two Lincoln North Star alums combined to go 9-for-14 with both Krieser (4-for-7) and Shottenkirk (5-for-7) swinging the bat with authority. Megan Eurich pitched 10 total innings and racked up 17 strikeouts, gaining a win (game one) and a save (game two). The once struggling offense collected 23 hits (six multi-base) and only surrendered one error in the field. Three others had at least three hits in the series: Madison Cushing (four), Bruning (four) and Glause (three).
· It’s the bottom of the fourth and the Lancers change the game with a grand slam to jump back into the 7-5 contest in favor of Concordia. The next inning, the Bulldogs were only able to gather one hit, but it was launched past the fence for a no-doubter response grand slam by Kylie Shottenkirk. The visitors would finish out game one (14-5) with a win and kept the momentum going in game two (6-0). Taryn Ganstrom (4-3 record) pitched a beauty in the shutout, not allowing a hit until the sixth frame and finished with two strikeouts, one walk and three hits in 26 batters faced. The Concordia lineup rocked Lancer pitching for a combined 27 hits and four Bulldogs produced multiple hits (game one): Shottenkirk (4-for-5), Taylor Glause (3-for-4), Delanie Voshell (3-for-4) and Julia Van Wey (3-for-5).
· Through the first 32 games, the Bulldogs had a low batting average (.257) but in the recent 10-game stretch they have churned out .378 as a team. While Shottenkirk provided the thunder on Saturday, there were seven Bulldogs who hit .350 or better during the 10-game catapult: Shottenkirk (15-for-30), Krieser (17-for-35), Glause (8-for-17), Bruning (16-for-40), Van Wey (14-for-38), Voshell (12-for-33) and Josoff (10-for-28). In the first 32 games, these seven hit for a .274 average but in the mentioned run they combined for .416. Coach Culler asked for the big hitters to hit big and for the past 10 games, they have.
· The junior Shottenkirk and freshman Krieser, via Lincoln, Neb., have been on a different level in the past 10 games. It seemed like an underwhelming season for the veteran, who had a .256 (21-for-82, one HR) batting average in the first 32 contests. She has been lights out in this final stretch with numbers like .500/.583/.967 (AVG/OBP/SLG). Not to mention, she has totaled four home runs, 15 RBIs, 10 runs, six walks, two doubles and four (4-for-4) stolen bases. Krieser, like any newcomer, struggled with a .118 (2-for-17) batting average and only one multi-base hit. The freshman has had similar numbers .486/.487/.857 (AVG/OBP/SLG) and boasts three home runs, 20 RBIs, 15 runs, four doubles, two walks and one stolen base in the final drive.
· Megan Eurich has been the ace in the circle for the Bulldogs and has a 16-8 record. The gun-slinger out of Gretna, Neb., has compiled 155 strikeouts so far and is tied for fourth in single season sit-downs with Amanda Hehn (2007). The junior has amassed 296 over her career and will have the rest of this season and one more add to the number. Her current ERA for the season is 2.91 and has collected seven shutouts.
· With most teams 18 games into conference play, the standings shake out to a tie at the top between Northwestern (16-2) and Midland (16-2). Two games separate three through six in the conference totals. Dordt (12-6) sits in third with a one-game advantage over Concordia (11-7) and Morningside (11-7), tied for fourth. Jamestown (10-8) has surpassed Mount Marty (8-10), going 0-4 on the weekend. Briar Cliff (6-10) and Doane (6-10) are now fighting for the final spot in the GPAC championships.
· Brock Culler was announced as the 12th head softball coach of Concordia on Jun. 30, 2022. In his first season, it was rough sledding as with most new head coaches in their first year. The second-year leader has already surpassed last season with 11 wins in the conference and 21 overall with four games left in the regular season. Missing the conference tournament the previous year, Culler will look to rally his squad to post-season play.
Morningside
The Mustangs are 17-22 overall and 11-7 in the conference, having split their last two series against Dordt and Northwestern. Morningside is 5-2 at home and has a team batting average of .264 (second lowest in GPAC) with 14 total home runs. The home team scores 4.08 runs a contest and has totaled 139 RBIs in the year. Kennedee Jones paces the team with a .336 batting average, a .410 on-base percentage and a .563 slugging percentage. Morgan Secora (8-8) and Bralen Biddlecome (7-5) get the majority of the work in the pitchers’ circle. Secora has a 2.94 ERA and Biddlecome has a 3.16.
Dordt
The Defenders are 12-6 in the conference and 25-20 through 45 games having won three in a row. Chloe Kreuz has a .370 batting average which leads the team and a .418 on-base percentage plus a .507 slugging percentage. Dordt scores 4.73 runs per game and allows 3.84. Kreuz is also the main pitcher with an 11-8 record and a 3.29 ERA.
Next Week
Concordia will set its sights on the GPAC championships tournament held at the top-two seeds home venues. The conference pod play is set for May 1-2 as the championships will be held on May 4.