ATCHISON, Kan. – Quality pitching performances from Camry Moore and Jerzi Rowe and timely hitting led to a doubleheader sweep for the Concordia University Softball team as it opened up the 2021 season at Benedictine College on Tuesday (Feb. 23) afternoon. In both ends of the twin bill, the Bulldogs managed to hold off rallies by the Ravens. Concordia won game 1, 6-4, before taking game 2, 3-2, in eight innings.
Head Coach Shawn Semler’s program had not played an official game in 348 days due to having the 2020 campaign cut short. A veteran Bulldog team has high hopes for what is possible this spring.
“It was so nice just to be back and playing,” Semler said. “You appreciate the little things like watching them take BP and infield-outfield before a game. It had been so long so they were really excited to play. We didn’t hit the ball all that well, but our pitchers were dominant today. Camry was just rolling and Jerzi was very close to a shutout. It was priceless to see her smile coming out of the circle.”
Moore dominated the like ace she is while recording a career high 15 strikeouts in the season opener. She also homered in game 1 and then proceeded to put out the fire in the bottom of the eighth of game 2. The Crete High School product collected a win and a save. Moore, Jenessa Jarvis and Kylee Nixon each delivered a home run a piece on the day.
In the opener, Moore fired all seven innings and allowed two earned runs on five hits and two walks. The game remained scoreless until Moore’s solo blast in the top of the fourth. Concordia later scored via Tori Homolka’s two-run double in the sixth, Hhana Haro’s two-run single in the seventh and with the help of a Benedictine miscue. The Ravens (0-2) cut into a 6-2 deficit with two runs in the bottom of the seventh before Moore ended the game with strikeout No. 15.
The capper saw even more drama unfold in the late innings. After Benedictine forced extra innings with two runs in the bottom of the seventh, Nixon emerged with a clutch homer that provided a 3-2 lead in the eighth. It was a white knuckler in the bottom half when the Ravens put runners on second and third with only one out. Moore was summoned to get the final two outs. Fittingly, the doubleheader concluded with Moore notching her 16th strikeout of the day.
“She was dealing today,” Semler said. “Her movement was great. She’s so smart and she just kept pushing the ball farther out and farther out. There was nothing they could do but swing at it. She’s a gamer. She knows what to do out there when people are struggling against her.”
Six Bulldogs collected exactly two hits apiece on Tuesday: Haro, Homolka, Regan Karel, Moore, Nixon and Allysia Thayer. Nixon also doubled in game 1 and scored two runs on the day. Both teams were credited with 14 hits over the course of the doubleheader.
It was a fine collegiate debut in the circle for Rowe, who covered 7.1 innings in game 2. She scattered eight hits and two walks while posting nine strikeouts. The duo of Moore and Rowe combined for 25 strikeouts in 15 innings of work. Only the Blair Shanks two-run double in the seventh inning prevented Rowe from a shutout.
A member of the Heart of America Athletic Association, Benedictine went 8-7 last season and 29-16 in 2019. The Ravens got complete game pitching efforts on Tuesday from Abby Pressgrove and Alex Gilhamm.
The Bulldogs will be back in the state of Kansas on Sunday for a doubleheader at Bethany College. First pitch of the doubleheader is slated for 1 p.m. CT from Lindsborg. The Swedes have yet to begin their 2021 season.