SEWARD, Neb. – It had been a long time coming. Not since April 27, 2019 (a span of 701 days) had the Concordia University Softball program played official home games. While hosting Northwestern, the Bulldogs won game 1 in walk-off fashion, 4-3, before being stymied in game 2, 7-1. Wind gusts howling straight in from center field negated some of the strengths of a Concordia lineup that likes to drive the ball.
The losses had been rare for Head Coach Shawn Semler’s squad, which stands at 17-3 overall (3-1 GPAC). Saturday’s loss in game 2 interrupted an eight-game winning streak.
“This isn’t ideal for us by any means, but we still need to get better at playing in these kind of (windy) conditions,” Semler said. “With how this field is located we’re going to have a lot of games like this so we have to figure it out and work on what we can control and can’t control.
“It was fun to be back at home and I thought we had a great crowd, as windy as it was out here.”
In the first contest of the day, hot hitting Tori Homolka helped put the first runs on the board with a three-run double in the third. Kylee Nixon (single), Jenessa Jarvis (walk) and Camry Moore (walk) were all aboard for the bases-clearing hit. The Red Raiders then rallied to tie the score, 3-3, in the fifth (aided by a two-run triple from Emily Bosch), setting the stage for a dramatic ending.
In the bottom of the seventh, the Bulldogs loaded the bases via a Brena Brown single, Jarvis walk and Homolka single. With two outs, Hhana Haro hit a sharp ground ball to third that eluded the third baseman just enough to allow everyone to move up a base, including pinch runner Maggi Hughes with the winning run.
That made a winner out of Moore (10-1), who fired all seven innings. She allowed three runs on seven hits and two walks while striking out two hitters. The second game was more of a struggle from a pitching perspective, though Jerzi Rowe was the victim of a flurry of infield singles by Northwestern. The Red Raiders (15-7, 2-2 GPAC) opened up a 5-0 lead with a four-run third inning.
Kameryn Etherington fired five innings in game 2 and got the win for Northwestern. Concordia did not record its first hit the contest until Nixon singled leading off the fourth. The lone Bulldog run came in the fifth when Haro doubled and then scored on an RBI ground out by Regan Karel. Impressively, the Red Raiders managed to hold Homolka without a hit in game 2.
Listed second among others receiving votes in the NAIA coaches’ poll, Concordia will have a chance to grab some attention on Tuesday when it hosts No. 16 Morningside (22-3, 0-0 GPAC). First pitch is set for 5 p.m. CT from Plum Creek Park. The Mustangs swept the doubleheader the last time the two sides met – in April 2019.
Said Semler, “I think the atmosphere is going to be really good. There’s going to be an intensity that we’re going to bring and I’m pretty sure they’re going to bring too. Those are the kind of games it’s easy to get up for.”