Bulldogs rally for win in game one, drop game two against Kansas Wesleyan

Concordia University split a pair of softball games with Kansas Wesleyan on Thursday afternoon in Seward.  The Bulldogs won game one by the score of 6-2, and the visiting Coyotes took game two by the score of 8-4.  Concordia moved to 14-8, while KWU moved to 17-7 on the season. 

Kansas Wesleyan took an early lead in game one, but the Bulldogs rallied for the win.  The Coyotes took a 1-0 lead in the first inning on an RBI triple by Sara Weber.  KWU added another run in the third on an RBI single by Caitlin Girard. 

Concordia scored a single run in the third.  Nicole Baker (Arvada, Colo.) tripled to lead off the inning.  With one out in the inning, Clarissa Eloge (Rising City, Neb.) walked.  Eloge stole second base, and a wild throw by the KWU catcher allowed Baker to score. 

The Bulldogs took the lead with a pair of runs in the fourth inning.  With one out, Angela Harstad (Lewiston, Minn.) walked.  A single by Shelby Morose (Claremore, Okla.) put runners at first and second, and a wild pitch put runners at second and third with just one out.  Amber Topil (Seward, Neb.) followed with a 2-run single to put Concordia on top by the score of 3-2. 

Concordia added three more runs in the fifth to take a 6-2 lead.  Natalie Svoboda (Lincoln, Neb.) singled and scored on an RBI double by Eloge.  Nicole Mapes (Greeley, Colo.) had an RBI groundout, and Morose added an RBI single in the inning for the Bulldogs.

Eloge went 3-for-3 with an RBI and a run scored, and Morose added two hits with an RBI and a run scored to pace the Bulldogs offensively in the win.  Nicole Sempek (now 8-2 on the year) picked up the win on the mound for the Bulldogs.  Sempek (Columbus, Neb.) allowed the two early runs but allowed just two hits in the final four innings.  She allowed just six hits and walked one to go along with 11 strikeouts.

Kansas Wesleyan scored in four of the seven innings and belted 11 hits in game two to pick up the win.  The Coyotes took a 1-0 lead in the second on an RBI single by pitcher Abbyann Spickler.  KWU added three more runs in the third.  The inning started with a Concordia error.  Chelsea Carvalho delivered an RBI double, while both Weber and Cassandra Roldan added RBI singles in the inning for the Coyotes. 

Concordia got on the board with a single run in the third.  Baker tripled with one out in the inning.  Svoboda followed with an RBI single to cut the lead to three at 4-1. 

The Coyotes scored three more in the fifth.  Tiana Rendon had the big hit of the inning with a 2-run homer to left field.  KWU added an unearned run later in the inning to grab a 7-1 lead. 

Nicole Baker smacked a solo homer in the bottom of the fifth for Concordia.  The Bulldogs added two more runs in the sixth on a 2-run single by Mapes.  KWU answered with a single run in the seventh for the final score of 8-4. 

Baker, Eloge and Amanda Beeson (Waverly, Neb.) all had two hits for the Bulldogs in game two.  Beeson (3-4) suffered the loss on the mound.  She allowed the eight runs (five earned) on 11 hits with one walk and seven strikeouts. 

Concordia is scheduled to host Southwestern College (Kan.) on Saturday.  First pitch is scheduled for 1 pm at Plum Creek Park.