The Concordia University softball team split a midweek doubleheader with the Hastings College Broncos Wednesday night at the Smith Softball Complex in Hastings, Neb. Concordia took game one 5-4 but the Broncos stormed back to take game two 11-4.
In game one the Bulldogs surged to a 4-0 lead with a four-run, third inning offensive outburst. Clarissa Eloge led off the inning with a double and was moved to third when Nikki Baker laid down a successful drag bunt. Baker then stole second, but senior catcher Charlotte Kaeding was called out on strikes. Hastings could have avoided the big inning, but the Broncos left fielder misplayed a fly by Concordia's Kendall Burgess, leading to the first run for the Bulldogs. The error was compounded when the next hitter for Concordia, Laura Fugate, connected for a home run.
Hastings answered in the bottom of the fourth with four runs of their own to tie the game 4-4. The Broncos used a pair of singles and a fielder's choice call to push across their first run. Hastings then tied the game with its own three-run homerun.
Concordia took the lead 5-4 with a two-out homerun by Eloge in the top of the sixth inning. Bulldog starter, Nicole Sempek, was then able to strand the tying run at third in the bottom of the seventh to earn the victory. For Sempek this was her seventh win (7-1 overall) during the 2009 season. She threw a complete game against Hastings, giving up four runs (all earned) on eight hits while striking out three.
The Bulldogs were outslugged in game two, dropping the game 11-4. Concordia's pitching staff was able to keep the Broncos off the scoreboard in only one of the six innings. Concordia starter Caitlin Lawrence was saddled with the loss for the Bulldogs, pushing her record to 2-1 in 2009. Lawrence threw 2 1-3 innings, giving up six runs (all earned) on five hits. Concordia's offense in game two was held to four runs on nine hits but stranded seven runners on base.
With the split the Bulldogs are now 10-9 overall and 5-3 in the GPAC while Hastings is now 20-8 overall and 6-2 in the GPAC.
Next action for the Bulldogs comes April 3 as Concordia travels to Sioux City, Iowa, to take on the Morningside College Mustangs before returning home for a double header with Sioux Falls on April 4 at Plum Creek Park in Seward, Neb.
Game 1 Box / Game 2 Box