SEWARD, Neb. – The Concordia Women’s Softball team snuck in two games before the rain came pouring against local ex-conference rival Nebraska Wesleyan University on Wednesday (Mar. 13). The Prairie Wolves walked off a seven-inning contest (3-2) in game one and kept rolling past the Bulldogs (7-0) in game two. In separate games, Julia Van Wey and Taylor Glause went 3-for-3 as both players paced the team with a four hit day.
Concordia falls to 8-14 with only two games before entering conference play. Head Coach Brock Culler commented on the first five innings of game one and bright spots on the day for the team.
“We made so many defensive mistakes in the first game and our bats were flat. Those first five innings were not very good. I told the team though, that we were two hits away and in the last two innings, we played pretty well. It was just unfortunate the way the ball bounced at the end. Nebraska Wesleyan has some disciplined hitters, but Taryn (Ganstrom) got settled in tonight and I was proud to see that from her. Julia and Taylor were right on tonight as well.”
Down 2-0, the Bulldog offense came alive in the sixth inning, after a Laycee Josoff walk and stolen base. Van Wey had an RBI single and Glause continued the hitting frenzy putting two on with Hanna Bowers coming to the plate. The utility player, out of Sunrise, Ariz., singled to right center scoring the pinch runner Deleesi Bartling for a two-run inning.
Starter Megan Eurich pitched an excellent game one but couldn’t stop the winning run from coming across the plate in a tight outfield throw-slide combination that went in favor of the Prairie Wolves. Eurich finished with 6 IP, 3 Ks, 5 H, 3 R, and 32 batters faced.
Nebraska Wesleyan jumped out to a 6-0 lead in the second game and the offense couldn’t string enough hits together as Glause had three of the five connections for the game. Down five, Taryn Ganstrom wrangled down the home team to four hits and one earned run in 4.2 innings in 20 batters faced.
Others with hits were Jennifer Katz, Kylie Shottenkirk and Josoff.
The Prairie Wolves leave with a 13-4 record and will take on Peru State College next Tuesday. They were led by catcher Lyndsey Roth with three hits and four runs. Val Gerlach collected four hits and three RBIs in two games.
Concordia (8-14) will face Peru State (3-13) in its home opener this Saturday (Mar. 16) after being on the road for over a month. The Bobcats will travel to Plum Creek Ball Park for the doubleheader starting at 2 p.m. CT.
Culler said, “We are excited to be at home. We have a bunch of recruits coming out and it will be a fun day.”