Softball completes 3-1 weekend road trip with sweep of Mount Marty
YANKTON, S.D. – Senior Amanda Beeson recorded two wins in the circle and shortstop Shelby Morose provided another game-winning hit as the Concordia University softball team earned a road sweep of Mount Marty on Sunday. Following a 3-1 weekend road trip, the Bulldogs moved to 19-4 overall and 5-1 in conference play.
Concordia defeated the host Lancers (3-11, 1-3 GPAC) by scores of 13-4 (five innings) and 8-5 (10 innings) in a drawn-out second game.
“We’re sitting about where we want,” first-year head coach Todd LaVelle said. “We knew Northwestern (Saturday) would be a real test and that a split there would be good. We went into Mount Marty definitely wanting to come away with two wins. 3-1 is a good weekend. We strived for 4-0 but I’m happy with 3-1.”
After winning by the eight-run rule in game 1, Concordia found itself scratching and clawing for a game 2 victory. A three-run top of the seventh allowed the Bulldogs to overcome a 4-2 deficit. Tied 5-5 three innings later, Morose doubled in Amber Topil to initiate another three-run frame that would put Mount Marty away.
Beeson’s dominance was a big part of Concordia’s sweep. The senior right-hander from Waverly, Neb., started both games and posted an impressive line on the day: 10.2 innings, five hits, one run, one walk, 15 strikeouts. Beeson already led the GPAC with 71 punch outs entering the day’s action.
The Bulldog ace pitcher got plenty of offensive support in game 1 as her teammates piled up four runs in the first and then eight more in the second. Rebecca Walker doubled in a run and Palmer Bosanko singled in another as part of the big first inning.
Concordia then put it out of reach in the second when it sent 11 hitters to the plate. Molly Madsen and Topil both had two-run singles in the frame and Bosanko punctuated the outburst by drilling her first career homer and the first of the season by any Bulldog.
Bosanko had a monster day, going 5-for-7 with the big fly and four runs batted in. She had two hits in game 1 and then three more in game 2.
In addition, Julia Tyree was 4-for-7 with three RBIs, Walker was 4-for-6 with two RBIs and Topil was 3-for-6 with three RBIs. As a team, Concordia amassed 10 hits in game 1 and 13 in game 2.
A common thread throughout this season has been Concordia’s ability to find ways to win. It did so in two very different ways on Sunday.
“Once again our kids rose to the top,” LaVelle said. “There were lots of chances to fold (in game 2) and they never did.”
The Lancers had two on and on one out in the bottom of the 10th – their last gasp in game 2. Beeson then struck out the side to bump her record to 8-3.
Up next on the schedule is a doubleheader at Midlands Collegiate Athletic Conference power Bellevue (14-10) at 5 p.m. on Tuesday. The Bruins are 1-2 this season against GPAC opponents.
