SHAWNEE, Kan. – The Concordia University Softball team held its own this weekend while going up against four Heart of America Athletic Conference opponents that each finished the 2022 season with at least 24 wins. On day two of the Kansas City NAIA Softball Invite, the Bulldogs dropped a 5-3 decision to Baker University (Kan.) before closing the day in Shawnee, Kan., with a 5-2 victory over Benedictine College (Kan.). All games were played at a neutral location, the Mid-America Sports Complex.
Head Coach Brock Culler’s squad also split the two games it played on Saturday and is 2-2 after its opening weekend of the 2023 season. Culler sees his team already making strides.
“We played a lot better today than we did yesterday, all around,” Culler said. “Baker has a really good team and we were very competitive in that game. Jerzi (Rowe) threw well and Brooke (Townsend) did a nice job in relief. We gave up two unearned runs, which was the difference. They have a pitcher who can really bring it. She came in and closed things down. Then in the second game, Megan (Eurich) threw another complete game. She did an excellent job of moving things around and changing the batter’s eye level. Defensively, we played well behind Megan.”
In the first game of the day, Concordia got all of its runs in the top of the third inning via a two-run double from Taylor Glause and an RBI single from Hanna Bowers. The Bulldog lineup was stifled the rest of the way after Baker (8-1) turned to pitcher Kira Baker, who covered the final 4.1 innings, struck out 12 batters and did not surrender a single baserunner. An RBI double by Mary Grace Hess in the bottom of the fourth proved to be the game-winning hit for a Wildcat team off to a hot start in February.
From a pitching perspective, Eurich gave Concordia exactly what it needed in the afternoon clash with Benedictine. She threw a seven-inning complete game for the second day in a row and allowed just two runs on six hits and two walks while recording eight strikeouts. The Bulldogs did their offensive damage in two frames, putting up three runs in the third and two in the fifth. In the third, Glause knocked in two runs with a base hit to center and Julia Van Wey plated another with a single to score Glause. In the fifth, Zoie Isom and Bowers contributed an RBI single apiece for some insurance.
On the day, there were four Concordia players who collected multiple hits: Aubrey Bruning (3-for-4), Bowers (3-for-5), Glause (2-for-7) and Kylie Shottenkirk (2-for-8). Glause drove in four of the team’s eight runs while serving as a catcher and a DP. Bruning started in left field in the first game before moving to center in game two. The pieces are just starting to come together.
Said Culler, “We have a competition going on in the outfield. It was a bummer Caitlyn (McGarvie) wasn’t able to play today. We decided to shut her down to use the rest of the week to get her healthy. We caught three catchers this weekend and all three did an excellent job. It’s really good to see the depth is there. We’re better today than we were yesterday morning. They’re buying in and having a good time with this thing. I’m very optimistic.”
The Bulldogs are slated to play two road doubleheaders next weekend (Feb. 25-26) in the state of Kansas. They will take on University of Saint Mary (Kan.) in Leavenworth on Feb. 25 before heading to Atchison on Feb. 26 to again face off with Benedictine. Those will be the final contests for the month of February.