2005 - Softball schedule/results

36-19 Overall, 20-4 GPAC

FEBRUARY
Evangel Early Bird Tournament:
Feb. 25	vs. NW Missouri State	Springfield, Mo.	L 7-0
Feb. 25	vs. Lindenwood	Springfield, Mo.	L 2-0
Feb. 25	vs. Spring Arbor	Springfield, Mo.	L 2-1
Feb. 26	vs. Trinity	Springfield, Mo.	W 5-0
MARCH
March 4	vs. Newman University	Springfield, Mo.	W 10-4
SCAD Smash Hit:
March 6	vs. Briarcliffe College	Savannah, Ga.	L 3-2
March 6	vs. Bluefield St. College	Savannah, Ga.	W 7-1
March 7	vs. Urbana	Savannah, Ga.	L 5-0
March 7	vs. Milligan College	Savannah, Ga.	L 8-4
March 10	vs. Quincy University	Savannah, Ga.	W 2-0
March 10	vs. Reinhardt College	Savannah, Ga.	W 10-1
March 11	vs. Thomas University	Savannah, Ga.	L 8-2
March 11	vs. Urbana	Savannah, Ga.	W 4-1
March 12	vs. Brewton-Parker	Savannah, Ga.	L 1-2
March 12	vs. Reinhardt College	Savannah, Ga.	W 4-3
March 19	Dordt College (2)*	Seward, Neb.	L 3-2 W 5-2
March 22	Bellevue University (2)	Seward, Neb.	Cancelled
March 23	York College (2)	Seward, Neb.	L 4-1 W 4-2
March 29	Midland Lutheran (2)*	Fremont, Neb.	W 3-2 L 1-0
March 30	Peru State (2)	Peru, Neb.	Cancelled
APRIL
Morningside Tournament:
April 1	vs. College of St. Mary	Sioux City, Iowa	W 3-0
April 1	vs. University of Sioux Falls*	Sioux City, Iowa	L 4-0
April 1	vs. Hastings	Sioux City, Iowa	L 6-4 (8)
April 2	Dakota Wesleyan (2)*	Sioux City, Iowa	W 4-2 W 3-2 (10)
April 5	Bellevue University (2)	Bellevue, Neb.	W 5-3 (8) W 4-1
April 6	Nebraska Wesleyan (2)*	Seward, Neb.	W 1-0 W 8-0 (6)
April 9	Northwestern (2)*	Seward, Neb.	W 2-1 W 4-3
April 12	Hastings College (2)*	Hastings, Neb.	W 6-1 L 12-4
April 13	College of St. Mary (2)	Omaha, Neb.	W 4-3 W 14-8
April 16	University of Sioux Falls (2)*	Seward, Neb.	W 10-1(5) W 5-0
April 20	Dana College (2)*	Seward, Neb.	W 8-2 W 5-1
April 23	Morningside College (2)*	Sioux City, Iowa	L 4-3 W 13-1 (5)
April 24	Mount Marty College (2)*	Yankton, S.D.	W 7-0 W 9-0 (5)
April 25	Briar Cliff (2)*	Seward, Neb.	W 2-1 W 7-2
April 30	York College (2)*	York, Neb.	Cancelled
MAY
May 1	Doane College (2)*	Crete, Neb.	W 8-2 W 4-1
GPAC Tournament:
May 5	vs. Hastings*	Sioux City, Iowa	L 4-1
May 6	vs. Dana*	Sioux City, Iowa	W 3-2 (12)
May 7	vs Dordt*	Sioux City, Iowa	L 1-0 (9)
NAIA Region IV Tournament:
May 11	vs. College of St. Mary	Omaha, Neb.	W 5-4
May 11	vs. Midland Lutheran	Omaha, Neb.	W 2-1
May 13	vs. Sioux Falls	Omaha, Neb.	L 9-1
May 14	vs. Midland	Omaha, Neb.	L 1-0
May 21	NAIA Nationals	Decatur, Ala.	TBA

(*) Denotes GPAC Games

2005 - Softball roster

No.	Name	Yr.	Pos.	Hometown	High School
10	Katie Jeppesen	So.	2B/OF	Pleasant Dale, Neb.	Pleasant Dale
11	Rebecca Shaffer	So.	U	Lewisville, Texas	Dallas Lutheran
12	Amanda Hehn	So.	P/OF	Fort Collins, Colo.	Rocky Mountain
13	Emilie Lewis	Sr.	OF	Monument, Colo.	Lewis Palmer
14	Samantha Hellbusch	Fr.	SS/2B	Creston, Neb.	Lakeview
15	Jennifer Davis	Jr.	IF/OF	Lincoln, Neb.	East
16	Sarah Bergen	Fr.	P/2B	St. Charles, Mo.	St. Charles Lutheran
17	Cassi Pralle	Jr.	U	Wymore, Neb.	Southern
18	Kelly Kurtzer	Jr.	1B	Lincoln, Neb.	East
19	Meredith Peters	Sr.	SS	Jefferson City, Mo.	Jefferson City
20	Tara Schumacher	So.	C/OF	Denver, Colo.	Westminster
21	Mandy Ciochon	Sr.	P/OF	Omaha, Neb.	Millard South
22	Atlanta Feaster	So.	2B/OF	Winfield, Kan.	Winfield
23	Erin Wiedel	Sr.	C/OF	Hebron, Neb.	Hebron
24	Kayla Gataivasa	Fr.	P/MI	Clarkson, Neb.	Clarkson
25	Christine Jeppesen	Fr.	SS/U	Pleasant Dale, Neb.	Homeschooled
26	Jenna Hellbusch	Jr.	C/OF	Creston, Neb.	Lakeview
27	Melissa Morrison	Sr.	IF/OF	Edwardsville, Ill.	Edwardsville
28	Christine Mabrey	So.	3B/1B	Manhattan, Kan.	Manhattan
31	Susan Braunsroth	So.	1B	Pleasant Dale, Neb.	Milford
33	Judy Alswager	Sr.	P/IF	Columbus, Neb.	Lakeview

Bulldogs winless on opening day

25 FEB 2005

Evangel University Early Bird Tournament
Concordia 0, Northwest Missouri State 7
Concordia 0, Lindenwood 2
Concordia 1, Spring Arbor 2

Day two brings wins for Bulldogs

26 Feb 2005

Concordia put together four runs on four hits in the 4th inning to catapult the Bulldogs to their first win of the 2005 season, 5-0 over Trinity Christian in the first game of the Copper Division.

Concordia had already taken a 1-0 lead in the 3rd inning, putting together a single, error and sacrifice fly to plate their second run of the tournament. Kelly Kurtzer doubled to lead off the 4th inning, then pinch runner Katie Jeppesen stole third base with nobody out. The next two batters popped out and struck out. What followed was a sight for sore eyes, as after a Davis walk, Lewis singled home Jeppesen. Samantha Hellbusch followed with a 2-RBI single and scored on a Peters double.

 Amanda Hehn allowed just 1 hit and no runs over four innings to pick up the win for Concordia. Concordia built on the momentum of their win over Trinity Christian by defeating Newman University 10-4 in the finals of the copper division tournament. The game was knotted at 4-4 until the bottom of the 6th inning, when the Bulldogs exploded for six unearned runs on three hits and two costly Trinity Christian errors. Peters hit Concordia's first home run of the season, a 2-run shot, in the inning.

Bulldogs get split

19 MAR 2005

In their home opener against Dordt on Saturday afternoon the Bulldogs fell short, losing 3-2 in game one, but picked up a win, 5-2, in the second game. The Bulldogs had eight hits in game two.

Concordia is 8-9 overall and 1-1 in the GPAC.

Softball splits with Midland

29 MAR 2005

Judy Alswager got the win on the mound as the Bulldogs defeated Midland Lutheran 3-2 in game one of a doubleheader Tuesday evening. Midland, holds the number one spot in the latest NAIA Region IV rankings. Concordia fell in a low scoring game two 1-0. The Bulldogs are now 10-11 overall and 2-2 in the GPAC.

Bulldog nine in action at Morningside Invitational

1 APR 2005

In the Bulldogs first game at the Morningside Invitational they picked up a 3-0 win over College of St. Mary. Judy Alswager pitched a three-hit shutout to win a pitcher’s dual against the Flames’ Anne Proulx, who allowed only four hits herself. Concordia used a RBI single by Emillie Lewis in the third inning to go on top. The Bulldogs added insurance runs as Samantha Hellbusch had a RBI double and Kelly Kurtzer had a RBI single in the fourth.

Against the University of Sioux Falls the Bulldogs found themselves on the other side of a shutout performance, falling 4-0. One inning was all Sioux Falls needed as Amy Schmidt pounded a three-run triple in the top of the third and eventually scored. Concordia was held to only four-hits in the game. Sarah Bergen took the loss on the mound for the Bulldogs.

Softball rally falls short in extra innings

1 APR 2005

The Bulldogs used a three-run rally in the bottom of the seventh to send the game into extra innings, but fell short in the end, losing 6-4 in eight innings. Concordia tied the score at 4-4 in the bottom of the seventh on a two-run single by Samantha Hellbusch to force the extra inning. The game was played on a field without lights and because of the long game had to be moved to a field with lights. The move came after the seventh, and forced a 30 minute wait while the teams waited for a field to become available. When play resumed, Hastings scored two runs in the top of the eighth inning to seal the win.Concordia scored its first run in the first inning on a RBI double by Emillie Lewis. Sarah Bergen gets pegged with the loss. The Bulldogs return to conference play this afternoon, playing a twinbill against Dakota Wesleyan in Sioux City, Iowa.

Softball gets third GPAC win, Lewis goes yard

2 APR 2005

The Bulldogs picked up their third GPAC win of the year, defeating Dakota Wesleyan 4-2 in Sioux City, Iowa. Emilie Lewis had a homerun that hit the score board in the seventh inning for Concordia. Judy Alswager picked up the win on the mound.

Bulldogs work overtime for win

2 APR 2005

Concordia's ladies of the diamond had to put in some overtime to pick up the win against Dakota Wesleyan in game two of Saturday's doubleheader. Samantha Hellbusch doubled home the winning run for Concordia in the top of the 10th inning. The international tie breaker rule was invoked during the tenth inning. Dakota Wesleyan rallied for a run in the bottom of the eighth to tie the score at 2-2 and had runners on second and third with one out, but was unable to score. Bulldog pitcher Sarah Bergen pitched all 10 innings and allowed only five hits. Overall, Concordia is now 13-13 overall and 4-2 in the GPAC.

Softball sweeps Bellevue

5 APR 2005

The Bulldogs picked up a pair of wins against Bellevue University, going eight innings for an 8-3 win in game one and getting game two 4-1. In game one, Bellevue jumped out to an early lead, getting a three-run homer in the first. The Bulldogs battled back to force the extra frame where they erupted for five runs. In the nightcap Concordia used a couple of their own home runs for the 4-1 victory. The Bulldogs are scheduled to play a doubleheader against Nebraska Wesleyan at Plum Creek Park. First pitch is slated for 5:00 p.m. weather permitting.

Bulldogs get better of Prairie Wolves in two shutouts

6 APR 2005

Concordia improved to 6-2 in the GPAC with a pair of shutouts, 1-0 and 8-0, over Nebraska Wesleyan. Both teams battled the wind in the opener, as it played with anything hit in the air. Judy Alswager tossed a one-hitter, picking up her seventh win on the hill this season.

In the second game, the Bulldogs came alive offensively, pounding out eight hits. Sarah Bergen helped her own cause, going 2-for-3 from the plate. She added another tally to her win column, pitching the entire six innings.

Overall, Concordia is now 17-13 overall. Northwestern, who at the moment sits at top of the GPAC standings, comes to town on Saturday for a doubleheader at Plum Creek Park. First pitch is scheduled for 1:00 p.m.

Brooms come out against Northwestern

9 APR 2005

The Bulldogs swept the Northwestern Red Raiders on Saturday, 2-1 and 4-3. Northwestern came into the series leading the GPAC standings.

The Bulldogs are now winners of eight straight and are 19-13 overall and 8-2 in the GPAC.

Bulldogs 9th straight, drop game two versus Hastings

12 APR 2005

The Concordia team softball ran their winning streak to nine games with a 6-1 victory over Hastings in game one of a doubleheader on Tuesday. The Bulldogs weren't as fortunate in the final game, losing 12-4. The Bulldogs are now 20-14 overall and 9-3 in the GPAC.

Alswager GPAC pitcher of the week

Judy Alswager was named the Great Plains Athletic Conference (GPAC) pitcher of the week for April 4 – April 10, 2005. Alswager, a senior from Columbus, Neb., went 4-0 with one save as Concordia went 6-0 and improved to 19-13 overall and 8-2 in the GPAC. She pitched 24 1⁄2 innings, allowing just four runs with an ERA of .87. In a win over Nebraska Wesleyan (1-0) she tossed a one hitter. She also won two decisions against #25 Northwestern (2-1, 4-3). Over the last 12 games she is 7-0 with a save for the GPAC leading Bulldogs. On the season, Alswager has a 1.45 ERA and has a record of 11-3.

Bulldogs put out College of St. Mary's flame

13 APR 2005

Concordia softball continued it's winning ways Wednesday night as they swept the College of St. Mary Flames 4-3 and 14-8.

The Bulldogs got on the board early scoring a run in the first inning. The Flames answered with a homerun in the bottom of the inning. Each team scored a run in the third inning to tie the game at two. It would stay that way until the Bulldogs put two runs on the board in the top of the seventh. It looked as though the Flames might make a comeback as they added a run in the bottom of the inning. Meredith Peters and Sarah Bergan each went yard in the win.

The Bulldogs prevailed in the high scoring second game 14-8. Melissa Morrison had two homers in the victory. Overall, Concordia is now 22-14 on the season and 9-3 in the GPAC

The Bulldogs return to the friendly confines of Plum Creek Park on Saturday for a doubleheader with the University of Sioux Falls. First pitch is scheduled for a 1:00 p.m.

Greene tops list of winningest softball coaches at Concordia

Head Softball Coach Frank Greene surpassed former coach Tim Preuss for most softball wins on Wednesday night. Wins number 134 and 135 for Greene came against the College of St. Mary.

Preuss, who coached the team for seven years, was 133-126 during his tenure. Coach Greene is currently 135-92 and has been the head coach for five years. The following is a complete list of former Bulldog softball coaches and their records.

Frank Greene, (135-92) 5 years
Tim Preuss, (133-126) 7 years
B. Jones, (42-50) 5 years
Calder, (7-9-1) 1 year
E. Goldgrabe, (92-158) 10 years
Saville/Languein, (3-13) 1 year

Bergen strikes out ten as Bulldogs sweep Cougars

16 APR 2005

The Bulldogs picked up another pair of GPAC wins 10-1 and 5-0 against the University of Sioux Falls on Saturday. In game one, Judy Alswager allowed only one run on five hits for win number 13 on the year. In the next game, Sarah Bergen struck out ten Cougars in the shutout.

In the opener, the Bulldogs broke open a 1-1 tie in the bottom of the fourth as they scored nine runs. Concordia batted around during the explosion as six different players had RBIs including Melissa Morrison, whose single scored two. As a team the Bulldogs pounded out ten hits and played error free softball. Concordia also took advantage of six USF errors. Rebecca Shaffer, and Emilie Lewis each had two hits in the victory.

Concordia scored early in game two getting two runs in the first. "Usually we have been a team that gets our runs in the later innings," said coach Frank Greene. "It was good see us strike early after the big win in game one." Lewis got things going with a triple to right field and Samantha Hellbusch added an RBI single. The Bulldogs added two more in the bottom of the second as Cassie Pralle had an RBI double and Jennifer Davis an RBI single. Concordia added an insurance run off an Lewis single. Bergen was stellar on the mound, allowing on three hits while striking out ten.

With the wins, the Bulldogs are now 24-14 overall and 11-3 in the GPAC. They will have a busy week, as they travel down Interstate-80 for a doubleheader with York on Tuesday and host Dana on Wednesday at Plum Creek Park. They also have doubleheaders at Morningside and Mount Marty on Friday and Saturday.

Softball takes two from Dana, leads GPAC standings

20 APR 2005

Going into Wednesday evenings doubleheader coach Frank Greene knew that a lot was on the line. A sweep would put the Bulldogs on top of the GPAC regular season standings. And a sweep is exactly what he got, winning 8-2 in the opener and 5-1 in the night cap. "Looking at the stats before the game on paper they were the better team," Greene said. "But our team just finds a way to win, and lately we have done it with our bats." That trend continued as the Bulldogs out hit Dana 20-10 in the two games.

Both teams had to adjust to a bigger outfield as the games were played on a different field at Plum Creek Park than usual. Stan Schlueter, Concordia's equipment manager, said the regular field was "playable," but not ideal. "We probably could have played the second game on it," said Schlueter. "But it would have been a little rough." Instead the teams had to beat the sunset, as the bottom field didn't have lights. The second game ended around 8:00 p.m., just as the light was dwindling.

In the opener the Bulldogs scored early and often, getting three runs in the first, two in the second and one in the third. Jenny Davis started the game off with a single and was moved over by an Emily Lewis sacrifice bunt. Davis then scored on Meredith Peters RBI single. With two on later in the inning, Samantha Hellbusch smashed a single, plating both runners. In the second inning, Davis had another single, stole second and scored on Lewis' single. Melissa Morrison doubled to score Lewis.

After Dana put a run on the board in the top the third, Concordia answered with run of their own. Dana added another run in the fifth. The Bulldogs put up a pair of runs in the fifth as well to seal the victory. Erin Weidel tripled to lead-off the inning. An out later, Kelly Kurtzer singled to put runners on the corners. Lewis then singled to drive in two. The Bulldogs had a hit from seven different players, finishing with 13 for the game. Davis led the way, going 3-for-4. Lewis had three RBI's went 2-for-3 from the plate. Peters and Hellbusch also had multi-hit games with two each. Defensively, Judy Alswager picked up win number 14 on the year, holding Dana to two runs on seven hits and fanned three.

Sarah Bergen held Dana to one run on only three hits to pick up her ninth victory of the year. The Bulldogs finished the game with seven hits, including a two-run inside the park home run in the second inning. Dana stranded six runners in the game, including two in the fourth. Dana's lone run came in the fifth on a passed ball. Concordia added a pair of insurance runs in the sixth, taking advantage of two Dana errors. Davis continued her hot streak at the plate, going 2-for-3. Rebecca Shaffer also had a two-hit performance. Weidel finished the night with three RBI's and scored twice.

The Bulldogs continue GPAC play this weekend with a road trip. Concordia will travel to Iowa to do battle with Morningside on Friday at 5:00 p.m. and Mount Marty on Saturday at 1:00 p.m.

Softball goes 3-1 over weekend

23 & 24 APR 2005

After having to reschedule all four games this past weekend the Bulldogs finally took to the field. Conordia pushed it's record to 29-15 and 16-4 in the GPAC.

On Saturday, Concordia led 3-0 early in the first game before falling 4-3. The Mustangs tied it up in the fourth, plating two on a miscue by the Bulldogs. It stayed tie until the Mustangs scored the winning run in the bottom of the sixth inning. In game two the Bulldogs erupted offensively for a 13-1 win in five innings. Sarah Bergen threw a two-hitter to keep the Mustangs at bay.

The Bulldogs blanked Mount Marty in both games on Sunday, winning 7-0 and 9-0. Game two was called in the fifth via the eight run rule.

Concordia returns to the friendly confines of Plum Creek Park for a double header with Briar Cliff scheduled for Monday at 5:00 p.m.

Kurtzer has five RBIs to lead Bulldogs over Briar Cliff

25 APR 2005

The Bulldogs moved two steps closer to a regular season GPAC championship on Monday with a pair of wins over Briar Cliff 2-1 and 7-2. The usual one-two punch of Judy Alswager and Sarah Bergen proved effective as each picked up another win on the mound. Alswager improves to 16-3 on the year and Bergen to 12-7.

With a stiff wind blowing in from left to right both teams struggled to put runs on the board in game one. Briar Cliff struck first, getting a run in the fourth via a single, sacrifice bunt and another single. Concordia scored the winning run in the bottom of the fifth inning. Samantha Hellbusch led off with a double and then moved to third on a sacrifice bunt by Rebecca Shaffer. Erin Weidel earned a walk in a tough at bat and advanced to second on a passed ball. This set up a Kelly Kurtzer's game winning single up the middle that scored both Hellbusch and Weidel. Alswager allowed only four hits in seven innings of work. Jenny Davis and Meredith Peters had the other hits for the Bulldogs.

In game two, Concordia found its rhythm from the plate, getting ten hits. The wind that was holding up many of the Bulldogs hits in the first game died down some, helping the offensive attack. Concordia got back-to-back singles by Melissa Morrison and Hellbusch to start the second inning. Shaffer then doubled to score Atlanta Feaster who came in as the flex to run for Morrison. Hellbusch scored on a Weidel ground ball out to make it 2-0. The Bulldogs piled on three more runs in the fourth, two coming by a single from Kurtzer and another on an Emilie Lewis single.

Briar Cliff managed to rally, scoring two runs in the top of the fifth on a triple after back-to-back walks issued by Bergen. Concordia would get the runs back in the bottom of the innings. A Weidel sacrifice fly scored Hellbusch and another Kurtzer single. Bergen picked up the win coming in for Alswager who started the game and went 2 1/3 innings.

The Bulldogs wrap up regular season GPAC play on Thursday against Doane College in Crete, Neb. First pitch is slated for 5:00 p.m.

Softball drops two at GPAC Tournament

5-7 MAY 2005

Extra innings was the name of the game for the Bulldog softball squad during the first day of the GPAC Softball Championships. After dropping the opening game to Hastings 4-1, Concordia battled for twelve innings to get a 3-2 win over Dana. Neither team could score in the Bulldogs third game of the day, as extra innings were needed again. This time the Bulldogs came up short in nine innings, losing 1-0.

In the opening game, Judy Alswager allowed only one Hastings hit in defeat. Unfortunately, the Bulldogs committed seven errors in the loss. Offensively for Concordia Kelly Kurtzer led the way with a triple and single. The next opponent for the Bulldogs was Dana, in an elimination game.

In the longest game of the Bulldogs' season, 12 innings, Jenny Davis and Erin Wiedel each had three singles. The international tie-breaker rule is not used in GPAC Tournament play. On the mound pitcher Sarah Bergen struck out two while raising her record to 14-7. Because of the length of the game with Dana, the Bulldogs didn't have much time to regroup before facing Dordt.

Once again, extra softball was needed as neither team scratched out a run in regulation. It took two innings, but Dordt eventually scored a run to win the game 1-0. With the loss the Bulldogs were eliminated from the GPAC Tournament. Concordia now must wait to see if they qualify for the NAIA Region IV through an at-large berth. In the last Region IV rankings, the Bulldogs held the top spot.

Bulldogs top seed at NAIA Region IV Softball Championships

Concordia will be the No. 1 seed at the eight team 2005 NAIA Region IV Softball Championships. The official seeding and schedule was release today (Monday). All games will be played at Dill Fields located at 71st and Military Streets in Omaha, Neb.

The Bulldogs will play No. 8 seed College of St. Mary in a 2:00 p.m. contest on Wednesday, May 11. Both the winner and loser of that game will play again at 4:00 p.m. Listed below is the complete schedule for the Region IV Championships.

Wednesday, May 11
Game 1: #1 Concordia (5) vs. #8 Saint Mary (4)
Game 2: #4 Midland Lutheran (7) vs. #5 Northwestern (6)
Game 3: #3 Morningside (2) vs. #6 Sioux Falls (3)
Game 4: #2 Bellevue (9) vs. #7 Kansas Wesleyan (1)
Game 5: Saint Mary vs. Northwestern
(Play suspended, St. Mary leads 1-0)
Game 6: Morningside vs. Kansas Wesleyan
(Play suspended, Morningside leads 4-0)
Game 7: Concordia vs. Midland Lutheran
(Play suspended, Concordia leads 1-0)
Game 8: Sioux Falls vs. Bellevue
(Play suspended, Sioux Falls leads 3-1)

Thursday, May 12
Fields unplayable. Games moved to Friday.

Friday, May 13
Game 5: Saint Mary leads Northwestern, 1-0
(Resume RAIN DELAY, 4PM)
Game 6: Morningside leads Kansas Wesleyan, 4-1
(Resume RAIN DELAY, 4PM)
Game 7: Concordia leads Midland Lutheran, 1-0 (4th)
(Resume RAIN DELAY, 4PM)
Game 8: Sioux Falls leads Bellevue, 3-1 (3rd)
(Resume RAIN DELAY, 4PM)
Game 9: Winner Game 6 vs. Loser Game 7 (6PM)
Game 10: Winner Game 5 vs. Loser Game 8 (6PM)
Game 11: Winner Game 7 vs. Winner Game 8 (8PM)
Game 12: Winner Game 9 vs. Winner Game 10 (8PM)

Saturday, May 13
Game 13: Winner Game 12 vs. Loser Game 11 (TBD)
Game 14: Winner Game 11 vs. Winner Game 13 (TBD)
Game 15: If-needed Game (30 minutes after Game 14)

Morrison comes through in clutch for Bulldog win

11 MAY 2005

It was a situation you dream up playing by yourself in the backyard as a kid; down one run in the bottom of the seventh, two outs with two runners on. But for senior Melissa Morrison, that was the exact situation she was in as she stepped to the plate for Concordia on Wednesday night against the College of St. Mary in the first game of the NAIA Region IV Tournament. What she did next was precisely the way you imagine it. Morrison belted a double over the rightfielders head that scored both runners and gave the Bulldogs the victory 5-4.

"It was great to see the team respond like that," said coach Frank Greene. "It (the win) really boosted the energy level and got them motivated again. It was important for us to come out and show some fire after our performance at the GPAC tournament, and that is exactly what we did." Originally, the game was scheduled for 2:00 p.m. but was postponed to 6:00 p.m. because of rain.

College of St. Mary didn't waste any time scoring, taking the lead 1-0 in the top of the first. It wasn't until the third that the Bulldogs would get on the board, tying the game at one a piece. Concordia then added a pair of runs in the fifth to take the lead, but CSM answered with three runs in the top of the sixth for a 4-3 lead. The Bulldogs came up empty handed in their half of the sixth, and then kept College of St. Mary of the board in the top of the seventh. With the Bulldogs down to their last out in the game, Morrison came through with her game winning hit.

Concordia did start play on game two, against Midland Lutheran who defeated Northwestern 7-6. However, the game was suspended in the bottom of the fourth inning due to weather conditions. At the time the Bulldogs were leading 1-0. The organizers of the tournament had planned for that game to continue Thursday morning at 10:00 a.m., but rain overnight has made the fields unplayable. An update on the schedule will be made on Friday morning around 11:00 a.m. But as of now, the game versus Midland is scheduled to resume at 4:00 p.m. on Friday.

Softball enters final day with one loss

13 MAY 2005

The Bulldogs picked up where they left off on Wednesday, getting a victory 2-1 over Midland Lutheran at the NAIA Region IV Tournament. With the the win, the Bulldogs moved on to face Sioux Falls, falling 9-1.

Midland gets best of Bulldogs second time around

14 MAY 2005

The Bulldogs faced Midland Lutheran for a second time at the NAIA Region IV Tournament on Saturday. In the previous meeting the Bulldogs prevailed after the game was suspended and resumed two days later. On Saturday, Concordia ended up on the wrong end of a 1-0 score. Midland was defeated in the championship game by red hot Sioux Falls, 2-0.

Concordia finished the year 36-19 overall and 20-4 in the GPAC in route to the regular season GPAC Championship.

Greene is Coach of the Year for NAIA Region IV

Coach Frank Greene has been named 2005 Region IV Coach of the Year. In 2005 Greene became the winningest softball coach in Concordia history. He currently has a career record of 149-97.

Alswager earns Region IV honors

Judy Alswager was named to the NAIA Region IV 2005 All-Region team. A senior, Alswager had a perfect conference record at 12-0. In addition she finished the year with an earned run average of 2.03.

Bulldogs rank second in NAIA academically

The National Fastpitch Coaches Association (NFCA) has announced their “Top Ten All-Academic Teams” for the 2004-2005 season. The Concordia Bulldogs ranked second in the NAIA. This is the third consecutive year that the Bulldog softball team has been named as one of the NFCA’s All-Academic team’s and the highest finish to date.

As a team, Concordia had a GPA of 3.514, only .136 behind the top team in the NAIA, Iowa Wesleyan. The NFCA All-Academic teams are based on GPAs submitted for the 2004-2005 academic year.

“This is a testament to our philosophy of athletes being strong students first,” said Head Coach Frank Greene. “I am extremely proud to coach a team that won the GPAC softball title as well as finished second in the nation academically. It shows how seriously Bulldog softball players take their academics as well as their athletic accomplishments.”

In addition to owning the second highest GPA in the NAIA, the Bulldogs success in the classroom was the 12th best nationally among all schools, including, NCAA Divisions I, II and III and the NAIA.

“This honor speaks volumes about our program to potential student-athletes, our alumni and the general public,” added Greene. “What an outstanding accomplishment.”