LINCOLN, Neb. – The Bulldogs lit it up in the batter’s box scorching Nebraska Wesleyan University with 28 hits in the two victories on Friday (March 20). Concordia University, Nebraska Softball took two, 8-4, 8-5, against the in-state Prairie Wolves at the Sandhills Global Youth Complex. Aubriana Krieser hit a red-hot 5-for-7 against NWU.
Head Coach Brock Culler and company are 11-7 overall before going into conference play.
“Our discipline at the plate,” Coach Culler said. “We always talk about our preparation, having a plan and being disciplined. You can see the maturity level of our team in that phase is getting better and better every week we go out there. Tonight was a testament to it. We were hitting good pitches tonight.”
The leaders of the mash squad were Krieser, Kiera Farritor (4-for-6) and Tobi Topp (4-for-8). Topp came in clutch with three extra-base hits including two doubles and a home run.
Down 4-2 going into the fifth (game one), two massive adjustments led to a Bulldogs comeback win. The Concordia bats caught fire barreling six hits to plate five runs. Tobi Topp became a part of the bomb squad smashing a three-run blast over the outfield wall for her first in Bulldog Blue. Taryn Ganstrom (single), Avery O’Boyle (RBI single), Aubriana Kireser (single), Laycee Josoff (single), and Bailey Merritt (RBI double) strung knocks together to gain an 8-4 lead.
The second change saw Kierstyn Linn enter the circle. Linn, a freshman out of Norfolk, Neb., shut out Nebraska Wesleyan with zero runs and only surrendered one hit in the three innings pitched.
In game two, both teams plated four runs in the opening frame as the Dawgs responded with a pitching swap to junior Kaylei Denison. The hurler out of Waverly, Neb., calmed down the opposing offense giving up only one earned run and three hits in four innings. Linn returned and finished off the Prairie Wolves and gave up zero runs and one hit in the final frames.
Concordia continued to make life tough on Nebraska Wesleyan cracking like fireworks in the city of Seward, Neb., on the fourth of July. The Dawgs mounted 15 total hits as Grace Maguire crushed a two-RBI double in the third to score Krieser and Topp that would eventually be the advantage needed for the win.
At least five players ended with three or more knocks which included the likes of Krieser, Farritor, Topp, Ganstrom (three) and Merritt (three). Topp (four), Merritt (three), Krieser (two), Maguire (two) and Ganstrom (two) each had multiple runs batted in.
Concordia (11-7, 0-0 GPAC) will finally enter GPAC action versus Briar Cliff (10-16, 0-2 GPAC) in Sioux City, Iowa on Saturday (March 21). The Bulldogs will step on the field at 1 p.m. CT at Hubbard Park.