Softball splits doubleheader with Hastings
The Concordia University, Nebraska, softball team split a doubleheader with Hastings College on Wednesday, April 11. The Bulldogs took game one 2-0, then dropped the second contest 5-2.
Following Wednesday's action Concordia has an 11-13 mark on the season and is 5-3 in Great Plains Athletic Conference (GPAC) play. Hastings, meanwhile, is 15-22 overall and 3-7 in GPAC action.
Game One: Concordia 2, Hastings 0
Senior Nicole Sempek (Columbus, Neb.) scattered five hits and a walk to pick up her eighth victory of the season and her fourth shutout overall. Sempek collected six strikeouts as she used 103 pitches to move to 8-5.
Offensively the Bulldogs plated an unearned run in the top of the third to take a 1-0 lead on a one-out single by junior Natalie Svoboda (Lincoln, Neb.) and a two-out single from junior Angela Harstad (Lewiston, Minn.) that was misplayed in right field, allowing Svoboda to score.
The following inning, Concordia added to its lead as sophomore Amanda Baldwin (Wilber, Neb.) drew a leadoff walk. Baldwin went to second on a single through the left side by freshman Molly Madsen (Thornton, Colo.). Both Concordia runners moved up a base on a sacrifice bunt from sophomore Amber Topil (Seward, Neb.). Finally senior Mikaela Klein (Grand Island, Neb.) drove home Baldwin on a ground out to second.
Hastings' starter Mackenzie Welchert dropped to 7-7 with the loss, allowing two runs on seven hits in six innings.
Game Two: Hastings 5, Concordia 2
Injuries forced Sempek to return to the circle for game two and Broncos took advantage, scoring five runs on 11 hits to earn a split in the doubleheader.
Hastings built a 1-0 lead with a triple by Felicia Graff and an RBI single by Haley Burge in the top of the third.
Concordia pulled even in the fourth as freshman Regan Doiel (Millard, Neb.) legged out an infield single, then Svoboda smacked a single into left to put runners on the corners. One out later, Harstad connected for an RBI single to right.
Unfortunately the Broncos answered the challenge in the top of the fifth with three runs on four hits, the big blow coming on a two-run single by Molly Mullervy.
Hastings added a run in the top of the seventh to make it 5-1. Concordia mounted a two-out rally in the final frame behind back-to-back doubles from Baldwin and Madsen but fell 5-2.
Sempek fell to 8-6 with the loss, allowing five runs on 11 hits and two walks in seven innings. Hasting's Chrissy Lowe moved to 6-9 on the year, limiting Concordia to two runs on 10 hits and two walks in seven innings.
The Bulldogs are off until Saturday, April 14 when Concordia hosts Morningside for a GPAC doubleheader beginning at 1 p.m.