LEAVENWORTH, Kan. – The two ends of the doubleheader looked very different on Saturday (Feb. 24) afternoon in Leavenworth, Kan. The Concordia University Softball team got a strong pitching performance from Megan Eurich and a home run apiece from Laycee Josoff and Zoie Isom as part of a 7-2 victory in game one. Host University of Saint Mary then dominated game two while striking for 14 hits in a 13-1 five-inning rout. Eurich fired a seven-inning complete game in the day’s opener.
Head Coach Brock Culler’s squad moved to 2-6 overall this season as part of a challenging nonconference slate. Moving forward, the Bulldogs hope to look more like the team that played game one on Saturday.
“Megan threw really well,” Culler said. “She got a lot of soft contact and the defense played well behind her. We just had one miscue that resulted in two errors, but we played clean softball for the most part in game one. It was nice to see Laycee get her first collegiate home run. A big emphasis is our offense, so it was good to see us put the bat on the ball and drive the ball. We have a good offensive team.”
Concordia certainly came out swinging on Saturday as it put up two runs in the first and four in the second in supply Eurich with all the support she needed. Isom opened the scoring when she doubled home Kylie Shottenkirk and Josoff in the top of the first. Then in the second, Aubrey Bruning singled in a pair of runs before Josoff delivered a booming two-run homer. Isom added an insurance run in the seventh with a solo shot for her first homer of 2024.
Eurich again heads the pitching staff. She allowed only one earned run on five hits and a walk in game one. She also recorded four strikeouts in an efficient performance. Eurich completed the game with 80 pitches (51 for strikes). Unfortunately, Concordia’s pitching did not hold up well in the second game. The Spires (5-6) notched five runs apiece in the first and second innings while leaving the Bulldogs in the dust. Concordia’s three pitchers in game two were Kaylie Denison, Brooke Townsend and Taryn Ganstrom. Towsend made her season debut while pitching in relief.
Isom finished the day 3-for-6 at the plate. In addition, Shottenkirk (2-for-4) and Bruning (2-for-5) collected two hits apiece. There were nine Bulldogs who recorded at least one hit in the doubleheader.
Said Culler, “We have to continue to develop our pitching depth. There’s no doubt we have talent there. We have to get the ball away from the middle of the plate and stop walking batters. That second game was a little rough. One of the quotes I always share with our teams is that ‘failure is a condiment to success.’ It’s a good group. We have to get right back at it.”
The Bulldogs will remain in Kansas while heading to Atchison on Sunday for a twin bill at Benedictine College (Kan.) (8-2). First pitch is set for 12 p.m. CT. This will be a rematch of a contest played this past weekend in Kansas City, Mo. The Ravens eked out a 6-5 victory in that matchup.