The Concordia softball team began Great Plains Athletic Conference play Wednesday night with a two-game dismantling of the Midland Lutheran College Warriors, at Plum Creek Park in Seward, Neb.
In game one Midland (9-7, 0-2 GPAC) jumped out to a quick 2-0 lead in the top of the first but Concordia would respond with runs in each of the next six innings to take a 12-4 victory. The game was shortened to six innings due to the eight run rule.
Concordia (10-4, 2-0 GPAC) rode the momentum of a five-run second inning rally, spurred on by four straight singles and a bases clearing double by senior pitcher Sarah Bergan. The Bulldog offense was led by junior first baseman Kendall Burgess who went 3-for-4 with a double and four RBI's. Freshman Nicole Baker also went 3-for-3 with a homerun and three RBI's as the Bulldogs pounded out 15 hits off of the 2007 first team All-GPAC pitcher Kelly Sladek of Midland.
Bergan picked up her second win in as many days, going the complete six innings, scattering seven hits while giving up four runs (all earned) and striking out five.
Game two saw much of the same offensive fireworks from the Bulldogs but Concordia also got a dominate pitching effort from sophomore Caitlin Lawrence in the 8-1 victory.
Concordia was able to take an early 3-0 lead when senior right fielder Christy Jeppesen had a bases clearing triple and later scored on senior short stop Samantha Hellbusch's triple to the left center field gap. The Bulldogs added five more in the bottom of the third inning when Concordia put runners on due to Warrior errors and Burgess cleared the bases with a towering shot over the left field fence.
The key to the Bulldogs success in game two though was a strong performance on the mound by Lawrence, who went the complete seven innings surrendering only two base hits while striking out four. Midland's lead off hitter Natalie Meduna was the only Warrior to advance past second base the entire second game.
"I couldn't be more proud of the way our kids played today," said Head Coach Frank Greene. "The hitting is right where we want it, the pitching has just been great, I would like to see our defense sharpen up but I feel great about where we are right now."
Concordia will head to Sioux City, Iowa for the Morningside Tournament on Friday and Saturday March 28-29 before heading back into GPAC play April 1 against Nebraska Wesleyan.
Game 1 Box Score
Game 2 Box Score