SEWARD, Neb. – On a day when it was held to a combined five hits, the Concordia University Softball team relied on pitching and defense to earn a doubleheader split with visiting Morningside. The Bulldogs rallied late to take game one, 2-1, before falling in the second contest, 3-1, in action that took place at Plum Creek Park on Saturday (March 25). A sacrifice bunt by Taylor Glause chased in the deciding run in Concordia’s victory over the perennially strong Mustangs.
Head Coach Brock Culler’s squad went 1-3 on the four-game homestand over the past three days. The Bulldogs now stand at 12-13 overall (1-1 GPAC).
“Our pitching and defense was really good,” Culler said. “On Thursday night (versus Nebraska Wesleyan) we just didn’t have a good outing defensively. That was our focus – we have to keep these things 1-0 or 2-1 to give ourselves a shot. Megs (Megan Eurich) pitched outstanding in game one. That was a lot of fun to take the lead and win that ballgame. It was a big improvement for our pitching and defense.”
It was one of those chilly, blustery days in which Concordia had to scratch and claw for everything it got. The Bulldogs trailed 1-0 and had been no-hit heading to the bottom of the sixth in game one. While facing Morningside’s Grace Buffington, Hanna Bowers led off the bottom of the sixth with a single to right. Two batters later (after a Mustang error), Kylie Shottenkirk singled home Katie Stachura (pinch runner for Bowers). Glause then successfully executed a sac bunt to score Caitlyn McGarvie for what proved to be the game-winning run.
By game’s end, Morningside (14-7, 1-1 GPAC) would lament the 11 runners it left on base. Eurich routinely worked out of jams and scattered six hits and five walks in the victory. She went all seven innings and piled up eight strikeouts. Eurich slammed the door in the seventh with two strikeouts and then a ground out (after a two-out walk). The Mustangs cashed in just a lone run in the third inning, which ended with the bases full.
The second game had a lot of the same characteristics as the first one. Only this time, Culler used Eurich, Jerzi Rowe and Brooke Townsend in the circle. Rowe allowed only one run in her four innings of relief. Townsend then worked a 1-2-3 top of the seventh. However, the Bulldog bats struggled to crack pitcher Morgan Secora, who allowed just one unearned run in her six innings of work. Concordia was limited to three hits (two by Shottenkirk) in the second game.
The offensive ineptitude this week was not consistent with the type of firepower the Bulldogs showed at times during spring break. Concordia will have to rediscover its offense as conference play continues. Said Culler, “Offense has been by far our strength. We’ve been in a little bit of a slump. A lot of that is because of our pitch selection. We’ve been too quick to swing at the first couple pitches we see. We need to go back and reset. We just have some minor adjustments to make.” A small tweak Culler made defensively on Saturday was to swap Bowers (shortstop) and Shottenkirk (second base) in the infield.
GPAC play will continue on Tuesday when the Bulldogs will venture to nearby Crete for a 3 p.m. CT doubleheader with Doane (14-10, 1-1 GPAC). Concordia swept last season’s doubleheader in Seward with the Tigers. As an added element of intrigue to this year’s matchup, former four-year Bulldog star Camry Moore is playing out her final season of eligibility at Doane.