SEWARD, Neb. – Since conference play began, Camry Moore has elevated her pitching prowess to a new level of dominance. Moore twirled a four-hit shutout in the first of two games with College of Saint Mary on Monday (April 4). While riding that performance, the Bulldogs won a pitcher’s duel, 2-0, before slipping in game two, 10-7. Moore also collected three hits while helping lead the offensive attack.
Head Coach Tatum Edwards’ squad has split three of its first five GPAC doubleheaders and sits at 16-14 overall (5-5 GPAC). Concordia always has a chance when Moore is in the circle.
“Camry again was making a whole bunch of adjustments from pitch to pitch,” Edwards said. “She shut them out. She’s done such a good job of understanding the game. I think her and I are on a really good page as far as attacking hitters and communicating during innings. I love watching her throw.”
This was essentially a continuation of what Moore has been doing most of this spring. All four hits she surrendered were singles. The Crete High School product really got on a roll in the latter innings of game one. The only runner Flames batter to reach base over the fifth, sixth and seventh innings came after strike three got away from the catcher. Moore’s stat line included six strikeouts, eight fly outs and six ground outs.
It was a fine day on the other side for CSM ace pitcher Emma Schnell. The Bulldogs got the only runs they needed off Schell in game one during the third inning. That frame began with Kylee Nixon’s leadoff walk and was highlighted by an RBI single apiece from Moore and Julia Van Wey. Relief pitcher Mickayla Larsen then held Concordia scoreless the rest of the way.
Game two was a much different story. The Flames (8-16, 4-2 GPAC) mounted a 10-0 lead while putting up at least one run in five separate innings. Maddie Nekola and Marissa McCargill both belted home runs while putting CSM on the brink of winning by the run rule. To the Bulldogs’ credit, they didn’t give in an actually had the potential tying run in the on-deck circle with two outs in the bottom of the seventh. That’s when Schnell coaxed a foul out to the catcher to put the game on ice.
Concordia had fought back in game two with a four-run sixth that included an RBI single from Van Wey, a unique sac fly from Kylie Shottenkirk and a booming two-run homer to center from Zoie Isom. Then in the seventh, Moore doubled home a run and Shottenkirk brought home two more with a double. Of the seven runs Schnell allowed in game two, only one was earned (due to two errors).
The Bulldogs had waited too long to get the bats going in the second game. Said Edwards, “If we would have shown up as the team that did in the sixth and seventh inning, that game looks completely different. I told our team, ‘We can’t be two different teams in the same game.’ Every single pitch matters. Every time you step in the box matters. We showed that we can fight back.”
With her efforts in game one, Moore recorded the 49th pitching win of her career, putting her alone at No. 3 on the program’s all-time wins list. She also lowered her career ERA to 2.00 (within striking distance of the program’s career record of 1.95). In six pitching appearances in conference action this season, Moore owns a 0.58 ERA and 29 strikeouts (against two walks) in 36 innings.
Three more doubleheaders remain on this week’s slate. In a rescheduled twin bill, Concordia will be at Nebraska Wesleyan for a 5 p.m. CT first pitch on Tuesday. Conference action will resume this weekend with home doubleheaders on Friday and Saturday.