TUCSON, Ariz. – The desert storm continues for the Concordia University softball team, which swept up another couple of victories while in action at the Tucson Invitational on Friday (March 8). Strong pitching performances from Camry Moore and Brittany Woolridge and great production from the bottom half of the lineup carried the Bulldogs to wins by scores of 6-1 over No. 25 Valley City State University (N.D.) and 7-6 over Dakota State University (S.D.).
Head coach Shawn Semler’s squad will carry a six-game win streak into the final day of the Tucson road trip. Concordia is now 7-3 overall (all games played in Tucson).
“I think we’re enjoying the game and having fun,” Semler said. “After they got a few games out of the way, they just have gone out and played. I don’t think they care if the opponent is ranked or anything. They’re having fun and obviously our confidence is sky high right now.”
Semler called it a “battle of aces” in the Concordia-Valley City State matchup. The Vikings came into the game with a spotless 15-0 mark. They were stopped in their tracks by Moore, a standout freshman from Crete High School. Moore worked all seven innings while allowing five hits and striking out six. She was given a 4-0 cushion before Valley City State finally got on the board in the sixth. Moore limited the damage by stranding two runners on base.
It was a fine day for another freshman in Kylee Nixon, who started both games at second base with Leah Kalkwarf nursing an injury. Nixon bunted for a hit on a play that turned into a three-ring circus act in the second inning. During which, Elanna Osthoff scored and Nixon came all the way around herself. A York High School product, Nixon had two hits in the first game. In that same contest, Osthoff went 2-for-4 with a pair of runs. One of her hits went for an RBI triple. Moore also singled in a run.
The second game got a lot more interesting than Concordia would have liked. Some defensive miscues aided the Trojans (2-7) in putting four runs on the board in the seventh. The development slashed a 7-2 Bulldog lead to 7-6 before Moore recorded the last out in the circle. Moore got the final five outs after Woolridge worked 5.1 solid innings.
At the plate, Tori Homolka doubled twice while driving in three runs. Hhana Haro and Dalaney Nance also added an RBI single apiece. Nixon scored the game’s first run after crossing home plate on a wild pitch.
Said Semler of the second game, “Woolridge threw really well and then we had kind of a lapse. We were able to make the plays when we needed to.
“Camry was lights out (in the first game). She was unbelievable. For most of the day the bottom of the lineup kind of carried us. You have to love when the bottom can manufacture a lot of runs for you.”
The Bulldogs will be back at in the morning. They will take on Park University (Mo.) at 9 a.m. MT / 10 a.m. CT and then Roosevelt University (Ill.) at 11 a.m. MT / 12 p.m. CT. Concordia is scheduled to fly back to Nebraska later in the day on Saturday.