HASTINGS, Neb. – Concordia Softball went a piece west and competed at a windy Smith Softball Complex on Wednesday (Apr. 3). The Bulldogs split with Hastings in a shutout (2-0) by Megan Eurich but the visitors couldn’t find the right one in the pitchers’ circle for game two, falling 15-2 (five innings). Eurich passed the century mark in strikeouts for the second consecutive season and ended the day with 103 total, midway through the year.
The softball squad is now 12-18 overall and 2-4 in the Great Plains Athletic Conference (GPAC). Head Coach Brock Culler commented on in-game pitching adjustments and bright spots in both games.
“Early in the game, Megan (Eurich) was struggling a little bit and we had to call a couple timeouts. The wind was holding up the change up but once we had a couple of meetings, I thought she did a great job. She kept their batters off balance, and she got her 100th strikeout (season). We were able to celebrate that today. Kylie (Shottenkirk) got a good swing on one. I was happy to see her get some success there. Delanie Voshell made a huge diving play and she also threw a girl out at first after charging hard to the ball. She is playing a good right field right now.”
Eurich was just what the doctor ordered for the first contest, pitching all seven innings and allowing zero runs. She racked up seven strikeouts and allowed four hits and four walks. She has diced her past two opponents allowing only one earned run through 14 innings pitched. The Gretna, Neb., native has totaled a 2.46 ERA with 11 wins this season.
The visitors had been kept down after four frames, but veteran Kylie Shottenkirk broke the scoreless contest with one crack of the bat. The Lincoln North Star product traveled all four bases after a home run to left field, producing the eventual game winning solo shot. After Concordia took the lead, the Broncos scorched a ball to right field with runners rounding second and third. Voshell stretched out for a diving third-out grab to silence the Hastings comeback. Aubrey Bruning added on in the sixth, singling and scoring on a sacrifice fly by Zoe Isom.
Bruning, the junior out of Lincoln Southeast, enjoyed a three-hit day (3-for-6) against the Broncos and brought in one RBI while scoring two runs. She brought in Laycee Josoff and Taylor Glause collected the fourth RBI. Madison Cushing (1-for-2) hit the only other multi-base hit by the Bulldogs.
Game two got away from Taryn Ganstrom (0.2 IP, 5 R, 5 H, 2 BB) and Kaylei Denison (4.1 IP, 10 R, 8 H, 2 BB), as the team fell down 5-1 following the first frame. The Broncos made it a no-doubter with an eight run third-inning. The two teams would split ways after the five frames in the run-rule contest.
Hastings (13-15, 1-5 GPAC) registered its much needed first conference win. Sam Skinner collected five hits, going 4-for-4 in game two, and three runs to lead the Broncos. Taylor Stuhr had three RBIs and went 2-for-3 in the second outing. Angelina Lockhart led them to the win, allowing two runs and three hits in five innings pitched.
Concordia (12-18, 2-4 GPAC) will travel to Iowa and face off versus No. 11 Northwestern (28-2, 6-0 GPAC) in a doubleheader on Saturday (Apr. 6). First pitch is set to start at 1 p.m. CT against the defending GPAC champion Red Raiders at the NWC Softball Diamond in Orange City.