SEWARD, Neb. – The 2023 Concordia University Softball schedule has been unveiled. Head Coach Brock Culler is slated to make his Bulldog debut this coming February while leading a program with four all-time GPAC championships to its credit. Next spring’s slate will feature 23 total regular season playing dates, 11 GPAC doubleheaders, four nonconference twin bills and three separate tournaments/invitationals.

Culler was named the head coach in late June. Originally from Cairo, Neb., Culler has spent 10 seasons as the head coach of Grand Island Central Catholic High School, which he led to the school’s first-ever state tournament appearance. He takes over a Concordia program that posted a 23-24 overall record in 2022 and reached the national tournament as recently as 2021.

The 2023 season is slated to officially get underway on Feb. 18 at an invite hosted in Kansas City, Mo., by Avila University. Following late February doubleheaders in the state of Kansas, the Bulldogs will look ahead to the Friends University Invitational (March 3-4) and the Tucson Invitational (March 7-10). Concordia is expected to play two games each day during its stay in Tucson, Ariz., over spring break. Upon a return to Nebraska, the Bulldogs will host their home opener on March 23 when Nebraska Wesleyan University is set to visit Seward.

Dates for pod play at the GPAC tournament are set for May 3-4 with the two highest seeds again earning the right to be the host teams. The GPAC Championship Series will then play out on May 6. Dates for the national tournament are May 15-17 for the NAIA Opening Round and May 25-31 for the NAIA Softball World Series. In the history of the program, Concordia has reached the national tournament in 2014, 2015 and 2021.

Culler’s 2023 roster will include two players who earned 2022 All-GPAC honors: Caitlyn McGarvie (first team) and Zoie Isom (honorable mention). Another player to watch is sophomore Kylie Shottenkirk, who went 8-for-8 during the 2022 GPAC tournament.

Concordia lands at No. 8 in GPAC preseason poll

Jan. 26, 2023

SEWARD, Neb. – With the season fast approaching, the conference released the 2023 GPAC Softball Preseason Coaches’ Poll on Thursday (Jan. 26). The Concordia University Softball team was pegged eighth and received 53 points in the poll. The preseason placement comes after the Bulldogs tied for sixth place in 2022 when they finished the campaign at 23-24 overall (10-12 GPAC). Head Coach Brock Culler steps into the head coaching role, a post he was named to this past June.

Concordia returns First Team All-GPAC outfielder Caitlyn McGarvie and honorable mention all-conference honoree Zoie Isom from the 2022 team. The Lincoln North Star High School product McGarvie hit .390 with a .483 on-base percentage last season. In addition, sophomore Kylie Shottenkirk will carry momentum into this season after she went a perfect 8-for-8 at the 2022 GPAC tournament. The Bulldogs will be replacing a couple of all-conference players in Camry Moore and Kylee Nixon.

In the history of Concordia Softball, the program has won four combined GPAC championships: 2005 regular season, 2007 postseason, 2008 regular season and 2015 postseason. The Bulldogs have reached the national tournament as recently as the 2021 season.

The season is slated to open the weekend of Feb. 18-19 with an appearance at the Kansas City NAIA Softball Invite. Concordia will play four opponents over those two dates.

2023 GPAC Softball Preseason Coaches’ Poll
--First-place votes in parentheses

1. Midland – 119 (10)
2. Northwestern – 102 (2)
3. Morningside – 93
4. Jamestown – 80
5. Mount Marty – 78
6. Dordt – 73
7. Doane – 58
8. Concordia – 53
9. College of Saint Mary – 48
10. Briar Cliff – 37
11. Hastings – 32
12. Dakota Wesleyan – 19

Season Preview: 2023 Concordia Softball

Feb. 2, 2023

Head Coach: Brock Culler (1st year)
2022 Record: 23-24, 10-12 GPAC (T-6th)
Key Returners: Grace Boganowski (INF); Taylor Glause (C); Zoie Isom (1B); Caitlyn McGarvie (OF); Jerzi Rowe (P); Kylie Shottenkirk (SS); Julia Van Wey (1B/3B).
Key Losses: Camry Moore (P/1B); Kylee Nixon (2B).
2022 GPAC All-Conference: Caitlyn McGarvie (First Team); Camry Moore (Second Team); Zoie Isom (Honorable Mention); Kylee Nixon (Honorable Mention).

Outlook

Similar to a year ago, Concordia Softball spent an offseason adjusting to the style and approach of a new head coach. One would be hard-pressed to find someone with more passion or enthusiasm for his job than Brock Culler, who served 11 seasons as the head softball coach at Grand Island Central Catholic High School. Culler was named to his new post in June and has hit the ground running while instituting plenty of early morning practices.

The Bulldogs were pegged eighth in the GPAC preseason coaches’ poll, which was merely a reflection of last season’s standings. There are quite a few unknowns at this point for Concordia, but there’s an optimistic and upbeat attitude taking hold as the spring beckons.

Says Culler, “When I get here every day, we’re all here for the same reason: to win and be successful. I’m surrounded by people who share that same approach. These athletes are here for the same reasons we are. They want to win, they want to be successful and they want to be great leaders and great people. It’s really easy to come to work every day when that’s the atmosphere.”

The 2022 campaign culminated in a 23-24 overall record after one postseason win at the GPAC tournament. Previous head coach Tatum Edwards found a new home at the University of San Diego. She recruited an incoming freshman class including five signees from Lincoln. Foremost among the returners, the Bulldogs welcome back all-conference honorees in outfielder Caitlyn McGarvie (first team) and first baseman Zoie Isom (honorable mention). It feels like a bit of a fresh start in more ways than one. Many of the building blocks from the 2021 national tournament team have graduated and moved on.

But this is a program that has almost always been competitive. Concordia Softball has finished with a .500 or better record in 20 of 22 seasons during the GPAC era and has made three recent trips to the national tournament (2014, 2015 and 2021). There’s a tradition in place that gives the Bulldogs a starting point with which to build upon. Though expectations may be low outside the program, Culler isn’t going to discount the potential of his ’23 team.

“This past fall it was just getting to know each other,” Culler said. “Leading into the spring, our practices have shown we’re heads and tails above where we were in the fall. It’s outstanding. These girls are really starting to buy into how we’re wanting to play this game and how we want it to look. Confidence levels are getting higher. We just had a practice (in late January) that was unbelievable. It was by far the best practice we’ve had to date, including the fall.”

A mainstay in left field, McGarvie is unquestionably a leader on the team considering her experience and past production. The Lincoln North Star High School product raised her game in 2022 while batting .390 with a .483 on-base percentage and .512 slugging percentage. She’ll enter this season five hits shy of 100 in her Bulldog career. Only one other teammate who started as a position player at the 2021 national tournament remains on the roster: infielder Julia Van Wey. She batted .292 with 28 RBIs last season and is another veteran presence.

Additional Bulldog returners who were regular starters in 2022 include outfielder Aubrey Bruning, infielder Kylie Shottenkirk and catcher Taylor Glause. Plenty of potential was shown by the likes of Bruning, Isom and Shottenkirk, each thrown into the fire last season as freshmen. Also a Lincoln North Star product, Shottenkirk made waves late in the season by going a perfect 8-for-8 at the GPAC tournament. Isom showed the ability to hit for power (team high four homers) and Glause transferred in from Cloud County Community College and won the starting catcher role last season.

McGarvie believes intentional strengthening of the team culture is the key to unlocking its full potential. Said McGarvie, “I want to show that being a good person can lead to having a great season. I’m really pushing towards that. We’re working with the culture and that’s something that can help us have a great season. We want to work together and be great teammates. I think we have the connection and communication to do that.”

The returning group of position players also features names like Grace Boganowski (11 starts in ’22 at shortstop), Hanna Bowers, Alexis Tachovsky and Creighton Taylor. With the graduation of Camry Moore and Kylee Nixon, there will also likely be openings for freshmen to make a splash this spring. As Culler has stated, he’s still eager to find out what type of offensive production this team is capable of putting forward. The Bulldogs would like to boost their average of 5.0 runs scored per game from 2022.

The pitching staff will no longer be able to rely on the star power of Moore, who went 52-27 and covered 489 innings during four seasons at Concordia. That means Jerzi Rowe stands out as the most experienced pitcher on the current staff. She recorded a 4.90 ERA in 98.2 innings last season. Megan Eurich and Brooke Townsend also gained experience in 2022. Bulldog fans should keep an eye on Millard South High School alum Jessie Bestenlehner, a freshman with the ability to make an impact as a pitcher (and with the bat). Bestenlehner was a Nebraska Coaches Association All-Star Game selection.

“We’re not going to have the one pitcher we’re going to wheel out there and expect to have 10 strikeouts,” Culler said. “These pitchers bring a lot of good pitches to the table. Our scouting reports and in-game adjustments are going to dictate who is going to do what. I think it’s going to be a little bit of a committee type of thing. Jerzi went to Iowa Western in the fall and threw a seven-inning complete game and looked outstanding. There will be opportunities to throw complete games if we’re in the flow, but we’ve got the depth to make adjustments and bring in two or three pitchers in a game.”

What Concordia Softball is looking for from Culler is stability, and he seems determined to provide it. What strikes players like McGarvie is how Culler has shown he cares about his student-athletes beyond what they do as softball players. Said McGarvie, “He really cares about us. He always wants to make sure we’re doing okay. He checks on us and really shows that school comes first, before softball. That’s great to have that. He always has his door open for us to come in. He’s just a very caring person overall. He wants us to get better and really pushes us during practice. He wants us to have great character as people.”

In the eyes of Culler, the season opener on Feb. 18 can’t get here soon enough. Everything about the program seems to bring a smile to the new skipper’s face. Said Culler, “The history with the program gives us a really good baseline. Here’s the direction we want to go and we can do that doing these things with these players. I’m really excited about how recruiting has gone. Our current players have helped with that. They’re good kids. I’m pretty fired up. I’m excited about the group we have now, the group we have coming in and the future of this thing. I want the snow to go away and I want to get on the dirt and go to work.”

The 2023 season is slated to get underway on Feb. 18-19 with the Kansas City NAIA Softball Invite. The Bulldogs will take on four different opponents over those two days. The first home appearance of the spring is scheduled for March 23 with a doubleheader versus Nebraska Wesleyan University.

Bulldogs ready to open season with four games in KC area

Feb. 15, 2023

SEWARD, Neb. – The wait is almost over for the Concordia University Softball team. The Bulldogs will open their season with four games throughout the weekend at the 2023 Kansas City NAIA Softball Invite (Feb. 18-19). Concordia will play twice on both days in action that will be held at the Mid-America Sports Complex in Shawnee, Kan. The entire event will feature a total of 20 NAIA softball games. Each of the four Bulldog opponents are out of the Heart of America Athletic Conference.

This Weekend – 2023 Kansas City NAIA Softball Invite

--Note: all games played at Mid-America Sports Complex in Shawnee, Kansas.
--Due to the games being played at a neutral site, live streaming/coverage will be limited. Host Avila University has created a page for the invite HERE.

Saturday, Feb. 18 vs. MidAmerica Nazarene, 11 a.m.

Saturday, Feb. 18 vs. Missouri Valley, 1 p.m.

Sunday, Feb. 19 vs. Baker, 11 a.m.

Sunday, Feb. 19 vs. Benedictine, 1 p.m.

Overview

This will mark the collegiate head coaching debut for Brock Culler, who spent 11 seasons as the head coach at Grand Island Central Catholic High School. Culler inherited a program coming off a 23-24 overall record in 2022. Concordia was pegged eighth in the 2023 GPAC preseason poll. It returns two all-conference players in outfielder Caitlyn McGarvie (first team) and first baseman Zoie Isom (honorable mention). McGarvie enters her fourth season in the program needed five more hits for 100 in her career. The Lincoln North Star High School product batted .390 (48-for-123) last season. As a team, the ’22 Bulldogs averaged 5.0 runs per game and sported a team ERA of 3.44.

A 2023 season preview for Concordia Softball can be found HERE. In addition, McGarvie was recently featured in a story that can be found HERE. The GPAC’s preseason softball poll is linked HERE.

The Bulldogs will have a good understanding of how they rate against the HAAC by weekend’s end …

·        MidAmerica Nazarene University (Kan.) has started 0-2 after going 28-22 in 2022.

·        Missouri Valley College is off to an 0-2 start after finishing 2022 at 29-19.

·        Baker University (Kan.) stands at 4-1 this season after going 24-23 last year.

·        Benedictine College (Kan.) will open the 2023 campaign this weekend. It went 30-26 in 2022.

Concordia will be back in the state of Kansas the following weekend for scheduled doubleheaders at the University of Saint Mary on Feb. 25 and at Benedictine on Feb. 26. The complete 2023 slate can be found HERE.

Bulldogs split on opening day of 2023 season

Feb. 19, 2023

SHAWNEE, Kan. – Brock Culler made his collegiate head coaching debut on Saturday (Feb. 18) as Concordia University Softball embarked on day one of two at the 2023 Kansas City NAIA Softball Invite. In action in Shawnee, Kan., the Bulldogs shook off an 11-6 loss at the hands of MidAmerica Nazarene University (Kan.) and defeated Missouri Valley College, 6-3. Megan Eurich fired a complete game in the victory.

Culler’s squad will also play twice on Sunday as part of the event. He was able to learn a little bit more about his team on day one of the 2023 season.

“I thought our pitchers did a good job locating pitches for the most part,” Culler said. “We missed a few in that first game and that resulted in two three-run homers. Those are hard to overcome. We just got off to a really slow start, but they settled in and competed really well today. We got quite a few kids into the two games. I like their enthusiasm and l like the way they competed. Offensively, we hit the ball really well. That was good to see.”

It was an inauspicious start when MidAmerica Nazarene put five runs on the board in the bottom of the first in Saturday’s opener. The Bulldogs did claw back to tie the game up thanks to a three-run third and a two-run fourth. A base hit to right by Kylie Shottenkirk evened it up at 5-5 in that frame. The Pioneers then responded with three in the bottom of the fourth and three more in the bottom of the sixth. Leading Concordia’s offensive attack, Zoie Isom went 2-for-4 with two RBIs in the game. Meanwhile, six Bulldogs notched exactly one hit.

Concordia flipped the script in the second game and got on top in the first via Isom’s RBI single that scored Shottenkirk. The Bulldogs tacked on with two in the second with the help of Caitlyn McGarvie’s RBI single and a Shottenkirk steal of home. The Vikings got within 3-2 after four innings before Concordia busted loose with a three-run fifth that featured a two-run double from Julia Van Wey. Eurich covered all seven innings in the circle and scattered nine hits while striking out four batters. Said Culler, “She had it working. She did a great job.”

On the day, five Concordia batters recorded multiple hits: Isom (3-for-8), Shottenkirk (2-for-4 with four walks), Van Wey (2-for-5), Hanna Bowers (2-for-6) and Taylor Glause (2-for-7). Three freshmen made their Bulldog debuts: Deleesi Bartling, Montgomery Berner and Delanie Voshell. One of the team’s more experienced players, Jerzi Rowe started game one in the circle and went four innings before giving way to Brooke Townsend.

The Kansas City NAIA Softball Invite will continue on Sunday when the Bulldogs will take on Baker University (Kan.) at 11 a.m. and Benedictine College (Kan.) at 1 p.m. The location will again be the Mid-America Sports Complex in Shawnee. Baker finished 2022 at 24-23 while Benedictine went 30-26 last season.

KC Invite finishes with loss to Baker, win over Benedictine

 Feb. 19, 2023

SHAWNEE, Kan. – The Concordia University Softball team held its own this weekend while going up against four Heart of America Athletic Conference opponents that each finished the 2022 season with at least 24 wins. On day two of the Kansas City NAIA Softball Invite, the Bulldogs dropped a 5-3 decision to Baker University (Kan.) before closing the day in Shawnee, Kan., with a 5-2 victory over Benedictine College (Kan.). All games were played at a neutral location, the Mid-America Sports Complex.

Head Coach Brock Culler’s squad also split the two games it played on Saturday and is 2-2 after its opening weekend of the 2023 season. Culler sees his team already making strides.

“We played a lot better today than we did yesterday, all around,” Culler said. “Baker has a really good team and we were very competitive in that game. Jerzi (Rowe) threw well and Brooke (Townsend) did a nice job in relief. We gave up two unearned runs, which was the difference. They have a pitcher who can really bring it. She came in and closed things down. Then in the second game, Megan (Eurich) threw another complete game. She did an excellent job of moving things around and changing the batter’s eye level. Defensively, we played well behind Megan.”

In the first game of the day, Concordia got all of its runs in the top of the third inning via a two-run double from Taylor Glause and an RBI single from Hanna Bowers. The Bulldog lineup was stifled the rest of the way after Baker (8-1) turned to pitcher Kira Baker, who covered the final 4.1 innings, struck out 12 batters and did not surrender a single baserunner. An RBI double by Mary Grace Hess in the bottom of the fourth proved to be the game-winning hit for a Wildcat team off to a hot start in February.

From a pitching perspective, Eurich gave Concordia exactly what it needed in the afternoon clash with Benedictine. She threw a seven-inning complete game for the second day in a row and allowed just two runs on six hits and two walks while recording eight strikeouts. The Bulldogs did their offensive damage in two frames, putting up three runs in the third and two in the fifth. In the third, Glause knocked in two runs with a base hit to center and Julia Van Wey plated another with a single to score Glause. In the fifth, Zoie Isom and Bowers contributed an RBI single apiece for some insurance.

On the day, there were four Concordia players who collected multiple hits: Aubrey Bruning (3-for-4), Bowers (3-for-5), Glause (2-for-7) and Kylie Shottenkirk (2-for-8). Glause drove in four of the team’s eight runs while serving as a catcher and a DP. Bruning started in left field in the first game before moving to center in game two. The pieces are just starting to come together.

Said Culler, “We have a competition going on in the outfield. It was a bummer Caitlyn (McGarvie) wasn’t able to play today. We decided to shut her down to use the rest of the week to get her healthy. We caught three catchers this weekend and all three did an excellent job. It’s really good to see the depth is there. We’re better today than we were yesterday morning. They’re buying in and having a good time with this thing. I’m very optimistic.”

The Bulldogs are slated to play two road doubleheaders next weekend (Feb. 25-26) in the state of Kansas. They will take on University of Saint Mary (Kan.) in Leavenworth on Feb. 25 before heading to Atchison on Feb. 26 to again face off with Benedictine. Those will be the final contests for the month of February.

Isom two-run double, Eurich pitching allows Dawgs to salvage split

Feb. 25, 2023

LEAVENWORTH, Kan. – Members of the Concordia University Softball team walked away from Saturday (Feb. 25)’s doubleheader in Leavenworth, Kan., knowing it can play at a higher level. At the very least, the Bulldogs salvaged a split with the help of a go-ahead two-run double from Zoie Isom and another fine pitching performance from Megan Eurich. As part of the doubleheader, host University of Saint Mary took the first game by the run rule, 9-0, in five innings before Concordia rebounded to take the second game, 5-3.

Head Coach Brock Culler’s squad has followed a pattern so far in 2023 of dropping the first game of the day and then winning the second. The Bulldogs stand at 3-3.

“We didn’t play our best the whole day,” Culler said. “Our pitchers threw good enough for us to win both games. Offensively and defensively, we couldn’t get the support there for them. But being able to bounce back and scratch out a W, especially the way we did it, was exciting. It gave us some confidence that we can bounce back from those things. The energy level came back up, but we do need to play cleaner.”

The first game was one for Concordia to flush. It committed four errors and was shut out by Spire pitcher Megan Brinkman on three hits. Bulldog starting pitcher Jerzi Rowe covered 4.1 innings and allowed six runs (four earned) on eight hits and one walk before Brooke Townsend relieved her in the bottom of the fifth. An error in the fifth brought two runs home that enacted the eight-run rule.

In game two, Eurich moved her season record to 3-0 by tossing her third complete game already this season. She allowed only one earned run on six hits and a walk while striking out six batters. The sophomore from Gretna, Neb., managed to work around six errors as Concordia continued to struggle in the field.

Fortunately, the Bulldogs did enough in the way of timely hitting to help atone for those mistakes. Isom singled in a run in the first, Hanna Bowers doubled in one in the second and Delanie Voshell knocked in a run in the sixth with a sac fly. The two sides were deadlocked going into the seventh. Creighton Taylor and Bowers both singled to set the stage for Isom’s clutch two-run doubles with two outs. In the bottom half, Eurich closed it out while surrendering only a two-out single.

Said Culler, “Megan continues to be able to get out of innings and make big pitches in big moments. Just when we send someone to the bullpen to get warmed up, she comes through clutch. She was really dealing again today. I’m glad we were able to get her some support. Hopefully we can get Jerzi one because she’s throwing well too. As well as she’s throwing, it’s coming.”

Isom finished the day with three hits and three RBIs. In game two, Bowers (2-for-4) and Taylor (2-for-2) also notched a pair of hits. The Concordia offensive attack was limited to 11 total hits over the two games. As for Saint Mary, its record now stands at 5-6 on the season.

The Bulldogs will travel roughly 25 miles north of Leavenworth for Sunday’s action in Atchison, Kan. The opposition will be Benedictine College (Kan.), a Heart of America Athletic Conference member that Concordia defeated last weekend at the KC Invite. Sunday’s doubleheader is slated to get underway at 12 p.m. CT.

Bulldogs swept at Benedictine

Feb. 26, 2023

ATCHISON, Kan. – The sixth inning of both ends of the doubleheader in Atchison, Kan., haunted the Concordia University Softball team on Sunday (Feb. 26). Late offensive outbursts for host Benedictine paved the way for a sweep as the Ravens won by scores of 11-3 (six innings) and 7-5. The Bulldogs owned lead heading to the bottom of the sixth of game one and were tied entering the bottom of the sixth in game two.

Head Coach Brock Culler’s squad went 1-3 on the weekend with the one victory coming at University of Saint Mary (Kan.) on Saturday. Concordia stands at 3-5 through two weekends of action.

“This was kind of a rough weekend for us,” Culler said. “We had a lot of baserunning mistakes and errors. We lost control of that first game. We had a couple things not go our way, and we just kind of let that snowball. We got on them a little bit between games about what it takes to compete. They reacted really well. We got down in the second game and clawed back. That was good to see. We’re learning a lot about this team. We just have some things to clean up.”

The Bulldogs looked like they might just follow pitcher Jerzi Rowe to a victory in game one when they led 3-2 with five-and-a-half innings complete. Zoie Isom had just given Concordia the one-run advantage with an RBI double that scored Taylor Glause in the top of the sixth. However, the bottom half turned into a nightmare as Benedictine scored nine times on six hits, two walks and an error. A Kassidy James RBI single made it 11-3 and enacted the eight-run rule. Rowe pitched 5.1 strong innings before running into trouble.

On the positive side, the Bulldogs fought back from a 5-0 hole in game two and eventually tied it, 5-5, in the sixth when Kylie Shottenkirk singled and came around to score on a wild pitch. Run scoring hits during Concordia’s rally were delivered by Julia Van Wey (sac bunt), Hanna Bowers (double) and Isom (single). The Ravens regained the lead in the bottom of the sixth when Megan Medhus singled in two runs off Bulldog relief pitcher Jessie Bestenlehner. Concordia was then retired 1-2-3 in the top of the seventh as Benedictine (4-4) earned the sweep.

Said Culler, “We’re getting there. There’s a lot of hope for this team … Jessie did a nice job. We’ve been wanting to get her in a game. We also had Jayden Fernau get her first college hit. There are a lot of good things happening. Our young kids are contributing.”

There were four Bulldog batters that recorded multiple hits on the day: Bowers (3-for-7), Isom (2-for-5), Shottenkirk (2-for-5) and Glause (2-for-6). Bowers doubled twice while Isom drove in a pair of runs. In the circle, Megan Eurich fired the first three innings of game two before being relieved for the freshman Bestenlehner, who made her Concordia debut. Eurich got a no decision, keeping her season pitching record at 3-0.

The 2023 season will continue next Friday and Saturday (March 3-4) with the Friends University Invitational in Wichita, Kan. On day one of the invite, Concordia will play Bethany College (Kan.) at 4 p.m. CT and Dakota State University (S.D.) at 6 p.m. The Tucson Invitational (March 7-10) is also quickly approaching.

Bulldog bats strike for 22 runs, 23 hits on day one in Wichita

Mar. 3, 2023

WICHITA, Kan. – The offensive lineup popped in a major way on Friday (March 3) as the Concordia University Softball team began a grueling run of spring break action. The stretch began with two games in Wichita, Kan., at the Friends University Invite. The Bulldogs fell by a score of 11-9 in eight innings at the hands of Bethany College (Kan.) before responding with a 13-2, run-rule shortened victory over Dakota State University (S.D.). As part of a 23-hit day for Concordia, Hanna Bowers, Kylie Shottenkirk and Delanie Voshell homered once apiece.

Head Coach Brock Culler’s squad stands at 4-6 overall while halfway through the four-game weekend stay in Wichita. This was the best the Bulldog bats have looked so far in 2023.

“We swung the bats really well both games,” Culler said. “We fought back and tied that first game up. Defensively we made some mistakes that ended up costing us, but that second game couldn’t have gone any better for this group. We lost three in a row and came back and really hit the ball. It was great to get Jerzi Rowe the first win of her season. We had a lot of good things going to end the night.”

It was a fine spring day at Two Rivers Complex in Wichita. Concordia dug itself a 6-0 hole against the Swedes and managed to rally back and force extra innings. The comeback began with a Bowers solo blast and picked up steam with the help of a Taylor Glause RBI double, two run-scoring grounders from Zoie Isom, an RBI sac bunt by Grace Boganowski and a Bethany error. However, Amaris Guerra belted a three-run homer in the top of the eighth and Bethany pulled out the victory. The Swedes got it done despite four RBIs from Isom.

There was no drama in the Bulldogs’ second game of the day. Concordia set the tone with five first inning runs – thanks to an Isom RBI single, Shottenkirk RBI single and Voshell three-run homer. As part of her productive game, Shottenkirk also doubled home a run in the third and then cracked a three-run bomb in the fourth. The Bulldogs left no doubt by putting up five runs in the fourth. In the circle, Rowe covered all five innings and allowed the two runs on two hits and three walks while striking out four batters.

Three Concordia players notched four hits on the day: Shottenkirk (4-for-7), Julia Van Wey (4-for-7) and Bowers (4-for-8). Meanwhile, Isom and Voshell added three hits apiece. The Lincoln North Star High School product Shottenkirk doubled twice, homered and knocked in seven runs on Friday. Both Bowers and Voshell got on the board with the first home runs of their collegiate careers. Also noteworthy, Caitlin McGarvie picked up two hits on the day and needs one more to reach 100 in her time as a Bulldog.

The Bulldogs will return to the same location on Saturday for two more games. Concordia is slated to play York University at 12 p.m. CT and Hannibal LaGrange University (Mo.) at 4 p.m. Once play in Wichita wraps up, the Bulldogs will quickly turn around and head to Tucson, Ariz., for spring break.

Offensive outburst leads to run-rule wins over York, Hannibal LaGrange

Mar. 4, 2023

WICHITA, Kan. – Eleven different Bulldogs recorded at least one hit on Saturday (March 4) as the Concordia University Softball team broke loose with a combined 24 runs on 27 hits. That production paved the way for two run rule victories in five innings – 15-2 over York University and 9-1 over Hannibal LaGrange University (Mo.). Both games were part of the Friends University Invite that played out over two days in Wichita, Kan.

Head Coach Brock Culler’s squad went 3-1 in Wichita, winning the final three games of the trip (all by the run rule). The Bulldogs evened up their overall record at 6-6.

“We had two things we wanted to focus on going into this weekend – first we wanted to really get some good, quality at bats,” Culler said. “We wanted to be disciplined at the plate, know what pitches we want to hit and don’t swing at anything until we get those pitches. Our team did a great job of doing that and adjusting during the games. It was a great performance offensively by our team. The other thing was our errors. We played both games today without an error and then you add the 12-to-14 hits a game. They did a great job of focusing and attaching themselves to the goals we had. We had a lot of fun.”

The likes of Hanna Bowers and Kylie Shottenkirk kept red hot while Caitlyn McGarvie moved past 100 hits in her Concordia Softball career. The matchup with York got out of hand in the fifth when the Bulldogs paraded around the bases with 11 runs on eight hits and five walks. McGarvie stepped up and belted a grand slam (first career homer) as part of that frame. Bowers (first inning) and Shottenkirk (second inning) also delivered a solo blast apiece. Shottenkirk went 4-for-4 with three runs and three RBIs against the Panthers.

In the second game, the Bulldogs took command with three runs in the first, two in the second and four in the fourth. McGarvie contributed a two-run double in the second after Zoie Isom and Delanie Voshell had both batted in runs with base hits in the first. Bowers and Voshell stung the opposition with three hits apiece in the second game. It was a day when everyone chipped in. Also notable, freshman Jessie Bestenlehner picked up her first career hit and Montgomery Berner drove in three runs in the first game.

Said Culler, “We had a lot to celebrate. Our team had a lot of fun this weekend. Every time we get together, we’re getting better. We’re playing looser and being aggressive. We played with a lot of energy and it just all clicked today. This is the Bulldog team that I had in my mind.”

In the pitching circle, Jerzi Rowe threw a five-inning complete game in the opener and Megan Eurich did the same in the capper. Rowe did not walk a single batter while allowing two runs on six hits (three strikeouts). Eurich then moved her season record to 4-0. She surrendered one run on six hits while piling up eight strikeouts.

There were four Concordia hitters with four or more hits on the day: Voshell (5-for-6), Shottenkirk (5-for-7), Bowers (4-for-7) and McGarvie (4-for-8). As Culler noted, the Bulldogs did not commit a single error on the day.

The next time the Bulldogs step foot on a diamond, they will be in Tucson, Ariz., for the Tucson Invitational. The event gets started for Concordia on Tuesday, March 7 with matchups that day versus NCAA Division III Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute (N.Y.) and Park University-Gilbert (Ariz.). The Bulldogs are slated to play nine games in Tucson from March 7-10.

Shottenkirk honored as GPAC Player of the Week

Mar. 7, 2023

SEWARD, Neb. – A red hot weekend at the Friends Invitational resulted in recognition for Concordia University Softball shortstop Kylie Shottenkirk. On Tuesday (March 7), the conference named Shottenkirk the GPAC/Hauff Mid-America Sports Softball Player of the Week. This marks the first career GPAC weekly award for Shottenkirk.

A Lincoln North Star High School alum, Shottenkirk went 9-for-14 (.643) at the plate last week over four games in Wichita, Kan. She also slugged 1.214 while collecting seven runs scored, two doubles, two home runs and 11 RBIs. In the field, the Lincoln native successfully converted 11 of 12 chances. In a win over York University at the Friends Invite, Shottenkirk went 4-for-4 with a home run and three RBIs. On the season, Shottenkirk is hitting .429 with 13 runs scored, three doubles, two home runs and 12 RBIs while starting all 12 games. She hit .314 as a freshman during the 2022 season.

Shottenkirk and the Bulldogs (6-6) are preparing to play nine games at the Tucson Invitational March 7-10.

McGarvie collects five hits as Dawgs go 1-1 on first day of Tucson Invite

Mar. 7, 2023

TUCSON, Ariz. – Spring break at the Tucson Invitational is underway for the Concordia University Softball team. An 11-run fifth-inning sparked a victory in the Bulldogs’ first contest on Tuesday (March 7) in sunny Tucson, Ariz. With the help of a four-hit game from Caitlyn McGarvie, Concordia defeated NCAA Division III Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute (N.Y.), 11-10. A rough start in the second game doomed the Bulldogs to a 6-3 loss at the hands of NAIA Park University-Gilbert.

The defeat to cap the day halted what had been a four-game win streak for Head Coach Brock Culler’s squad. Concordia will enter day two of the Tucson Invite at 7-7 overall.

“It was a bit of a mess, but we got through it,” Culler said of the victory in the day’s first game. “It was a sloppy game for both teams, but we hit the ball really well. Mo Berner came in and that bases-clearing shot she had was huge. Jerzi threw well, then things got away in the middle innings before she settled in again. We had two outs (in the bottom of the seventh) and the tying run trying to score from second and Caitlyn McGarvie threw her out. There was a lot of excitement for that.”

McGarvie’s strike cut down the potential tying run saved the game after the Bulldogs had built an 11-4 lead thanks to their 11-run top of the fifth. The run-scoring hits during that outburst came from McGarvie (RBI double), Taylor Glause (RBI single), Kylie Shottenkirk (two-run single), Julia Van Wey (RBI single), Montgomery Berner (three-run double), Hanna Bowers (two-run double) and McGarvie (RBI single) again. In total, the Bulldogs sent 14 batters to the plate during that half inning.

Concordia did just enough to make that production stand up. Rowe worked 5.1 innings and allowed nine runs (six earned) on 10 hits to go with three strikeouts. Townsend then got the final five outs and earned credit for the save. The pitching staff was backed by four players with multiple hits: McGarvie (4-for-5), Delanie Voshell (3-for-3), Van Wey (2-for-4) and Bowers (2-for-5).

In the second game, the Bulldogs got behind 6-0 and never recovered. As a positive, Concordia fought back with a Shottenkirk single that plated a run in the second and a two-run double from Alexis Tachovsky in the third. Van Wey notched two hits in the game. In the circle, Megan Eurich locked in after the shaky first two frames and threw a seven-inning complete game. She shut down the Buccaneers for each of the final five innings.

Said Culler, “The first two innings were not good. We had a chat after that and our team settled in and competed hard. I love the way we finished that game. Megs threw outstanding those last four innings. Offensively, we hit it hard right at them. We competed today – this team’s got it. They’re getting it, they’re doing a good job.”

The Bulldogs will continue action from the Tucson Invitational on Wednesday with two more games. Those contests are slated for 11 a.m. MT (12 p.m. CT) versus Dickinson State University (N.D.) and 1:30 p.m. MT (2:30 p.m. CT) versus Siena Heights University (Mich.). The location will be Field 5 at Lincoln Park in Tucson.

Bulldogs rout Dickinson State, shut out by Siena Heights

Mar. 8, 2023

TUCSON, Ariz. – Two very different games played out on Wednesday (March 8) as the Concordia University Softball team entered into its second day at the Tucson Invitational. The Bulldogs routed Dickinson State University (N.D.), 13-5, behind four hits from Caitlyn McGarvie before having their bats quieted in a 4-0 loss to Siena Heights University (Mich.). One highlight of the victory over Dickinson State was the first career pitching victory for freshman Jessie Bestenlehner.

Head Coach Brock Culler’s squad sits at 8-8 overall and is 2-2 in Tucson with five games remaining at the invite. A lack of clutch hits kept Concordia from claiming two wins on Wednesday.

“The second game, I thought we played hard – and Brooke (Townsend) threw really well,” Culler said. “We left 11 runners on base. That was the biggest issue. It was really odd because we’ve been hitting the ball so well. We just needed to find two more hits and we would have won that game … The first game, Jessie got her first win and threw well. We had a lot of good at bats.”

The heart of the lineup keeps hitting the ball with authority. The Bulldogs jumped on top of Dickinson State with three runs in the first inning and added another four in the third to provide a comfortable cushion. Reigning GPAC Player of the Week Kylie Shottenkirk delivered a two-run double in the first and two-run homer in the second. A Lincoln North Star product like Shottenkirk, McGarvie put a cherry on top with a two-run blast in the seventh. She also tripled as part of her four-hit outing.

Seven Bulldogs collected multiple hits against the Blue Hawks: McGarvie (4-for-5), Julia Van Wey (3-for-4), Deleesi Bartling (2-for-4), Zoie Isom (2-for-4), Shottenkirk (2-for-4), Hanna Bowers (2-for-5) and Taylor Glause (2-for-5). Isom and Van Wey added two RBIs apiece. In the circle, Bestenlehner worked five innings and allowed only one earned run on six hits and a walk (six strikeouts). Megan Eurich then got the final six outs.

After the 18-hit performance, Concordia wouldn’t have expected to be shut out. However, the Bulldogs left 11 runners on base. Concordia stranded multiple runners on base in each of the third through fifth innings. Siena Heights pitcher Shyann Truax shut out the Bulldogs on five hits and six walks. The Saints pushed across one run apiece in the second, third, fifth and sixth innings with the help of and at times leaky Concordia defense.

Townsend covered all seven innings in the circle and allowed just two earned runs while scattering 11 hits. The Bulldogs were able to rest Eurich and Jerzi Rowe for a marathon day on the diamond coming up on Thursday.

Despite being blanked in the second game, Concordia likes how things have progressed from an offensive standpoint. Said Culler, “We tell them to know what pitch to hit, be patient and be smart hitters. When you get the pitch you want, that’s the one you want to attack. We’re driving the ball well and seeing it well. They’re good, quality smart at bats. We’re seeing a really calm approach. When we do hit it at people, we’re hitting it hard.”

It will be a grueling day on Thursday with a trio of games on the slate as the Tucson Invitational continues (all three games listed below). On paper, the Bulldogs will face their stiffest challenge yet with No. 2 Indiana Wesleyan University coming up in the morning. The day’s second opponent, University of St. Francis (Ill.), is receiving votes nationally.

·        March 9 vs. No. 2 Indiana Wesleyan University, 9 a.m. MT (10 a.m. CT)
--Location: Lincoln Park – Field 8 (Tucson, Ariz.)

·        March 9 vs. University of St. Francis (Ill.), 11 a.m. MT (12 p.m. CT)
--Location: Lincoln Park – Field 8 (Tucson, Ariz.)

·        March 9 vs. Bethany Lutheran College (Minn.), 3:30 p.m. MT (4:30 p.m. CT)
--Location: Lincoln Park – Field 8 (Tucson, Ariz.)

McGarvie walk-off winner highlights marathon day in Tucson

Mar. 9, 2023

TUCSON, Ariz. – The Concordia University Softball team knew its depth would be tested on Thursday (March 9) with three games scheduled at the Tucson Invitational. The Bulldogs came up 1-for-3 while nearly knocking off the NAIA’s No. 2 rated team. Ultimately, Concordia sandwiched a 4-3 win over the University of St. Francis (Ill.) between losses to second-ranked Indiana Wesleyan University, 5-4, and to NCAA Division III Bethany Lutheran College (Minn.), 4-0. Caitlyn McGarvie’s walk-off, two-run double made the Bulldogs a winner in the day’s second contest.

Head Coach Brock Culler’s squad has gone 3-4 through its first seven games at the Tucson Invite and stands at 9-10 overall.

“It’s not often you say, we went 1-2 and we played really good softball,” Culler said. “We played really well today. Against Indiana Wesleyan, we came back and tied that thing – our team played its tail off. That game was a lot of fun. We had a chance to beat the No. 2 team in the country. They knew we were there to play, no question about it.

“I thought it was a home run (on McGarvie’s walk-off hit). Creighton (Taylor) scored from first. I wasn’t stopping her. That was a really well-played game by both teams. The last game, we played well but hit it right at them.”

The Bulldogs picked up one of their most impressive wins so far this season in walking it off against a St. Francis squad that received votes in the NAIA coaches’ poll released on Wednesday. In that contest, Concordia trailed the entire way after allowing two runs in the top of the first – until McGarvie’s heroics. Down 3-2 in the bottom of the seventh, the Bulldogs put two on base via an Aubrey Bruning walk and then a Hanna Bowers bunt in which the Fighting Saints failed to record an out. McGarvie then stepped up and smacked a double to center, chasing home Bruning and Taylor (pinch runner) and igniting a Concordia celebration.

The clutch hit from McGarvie made a winner out of pitcher Megan Eurich (5-1), who went all seven innings and gave up only one earned run on six hits and two walks to go along with three strikeouts. At the plate, Bruning went 2-for-2 with a walk and two runs scored while Zoie Isom contributed with an RBI single.

That victory helped lessen the disappointment of the walk-off loss that came at the hands of Indiana Wesleyan. In defeat, the Bulldogs showed their mettle in rallying from a 3-1 deficit to take a 4-3 lead in the top of the sixth. Isom doubled in two runs to knot it at 3-3 and then Delanie Voshell followed with a go-ahead RBI double. However, the Wildcats responded with a run in the sixth and then walked it off when Kamryn Buck sent an RBI double to right. Jerzi Rowe threw all 6.1 innings for Concordia and the freshman Voshell rapped out three hits.

Although the Bulldogs were making no excuses, fatigue may have been a factor in the third game of the day. Kayla Senne spun a four-hit shutout to lift Bethany Lutheran to the victory. On the other side, Brooke Townsend covered all seven innings, allowing four runs on nine hits and four walks (three strikeouts). At the plate, Bowers collected two hits.

Culler wasn’t discouraged by the results. He believes some of the close losses will go the other way as the season progresses. Culler likes the way the team chemistry is coming together. Said Culler, “This team is getting along so well. They’re doing everything together. It’s a really good environment that we’ve got going here. They’re building up some confidence. I know they’re excited about finishing out tomorrow. As tired as they are today, they have the attitude of, ‘let’s go get it.’ That’s where we’re at.”

Friday’s action will wrap up Concordia’s stay at the Tucson Invitational. On the final day of the journey, the Bulldogs will take on Olivet Nazarene University (Ill.) at 9 a.m. MT (10 a.m. CT) and Siena Heights University (Mich.) at 11 a.m. MT (12 p.m. CT). The Bulldogs will attempt to avenge the 4-0 loss they were handed by Siena Heights on Wednesday.

Eurich earns two wins, Bruning delivers walk-off as Bulldogs finish strong in Tucson

Mar. 10, 2023

TUCSON, Ariz. – It was the pitching that carried the Concordia University Softball team through day four at the Tucson Invitational. The Bulldogs surrendered just three combined runs on Friday (March 10) while defeating Olivet Nazarene University (Ill.), 6-2, and Siena Heights University (Mich.), 2-1. Megan Eurich earned credit for pitching wins in both victories while Aubrey Bruning delivered a walk-off base hit to cap off a nine-game stretch in Arizona.

Head Coach Brock Culler’s squad went 5-4 at the Tucson Invite and stands at 11-10 overall. Culler still believes the best is yet to come for his club.

“The key to that first game was our quick start,” Culler said. “We jumped on them early. Our bats were hot and we put pressure on them to make some plays defensively. They made some mistakes and we were able to ride it out. Megan came in and she did a great job in both games. We got everyone of our players time in at least one of the two games. We were a little beat up and tired, but it was a really good day.”

The day got started nicely for the Bulldogs when Bruning led off the game with a double and then scored on Caitlyn McGarvie’s triple. Julia Van Wey added a sac fly as part of the three-run frame. Those three tallies would have been sufficient with the way Jerzi Rowe and Eurich combined to limit Olivet Nazarene to a grand total of two hits. Eurich entered the game in the third and covered 4.2 innings with one run allowed (unearned) on one hit and one walk. Rowe had fired the first 2.1 innings with one unearned run conceded.

Four Concordia hitters notched two hits apiece in the win over the Tigers: Montgomery Berner (2-for-3 with a double), Hanna Bowers (2-for-3), Van Wey (2-for-3) and McGarvie (2-for-4). Bowers also walked and scored three times. Seven Bulldogs notched at least one hit as part of an 11-hit performance. Concordia was able to add insurance with a run in the third and two in the seventh.

Siena Heights pitcher Shyann Truax had the Bulldogs’ number in two separate outings in Tucson. Truax shut out Concordia on five hits two days earlier and kept the opposition in check again on Friday. Concordia did just enough in this matchup. McGarvie drew a walk with the bases loaded in the second. The game was knotted, 1-1, going to the bottom of the seventh. That’s when Grace Boganowski led off with a triple. Bruning followed with a walk-off RBI single.

“Grace hits really well to the right side of the field,” Culler said. “She got an outside pitch and tripled to right field. She was pretty jacked up when she got to third. They called a timeout and we Aubrey at the plate with Caitlyn on deck, so I really liked our chances. They asked if we were going to squeeze. I said, ‘No, swing away and win a ballgame.’ Aubrey is swinging the bat well. It was outstanding.”

Just like the first game of the day, Eurich pitched in relief. Freshman Jessie Bestenlehner started in the circle and went 3.1 innings without allowing a run. Eurich entered the game in the top of the fourth with the bases loaded and one out. A line out and a strikeout got the Bulldogs out of trouble. Eurich did allow a run in the fifth but rebounded by putting up zeroes in the sixth and seventh innings. She’s now 6-1 on the season.

Added Culler, “We’re right there. We’re playing really good softball. We’re one or two hits away from our record looking a lot different. I’m proud of our group that we were able to end the trip this way, as hard as they’ve worked. It was cool having Devin (Smith) out there the past couple days.”

A much-needed break in the schedule arrives after Concordia just finished playing 13 games in an eight-day stretch. The Bulldogs will return to action on Sunday, March 19 with a 12 p.m. CT doubleheader at Mount Mercy University. The Mustangs are located in Cedar Rapids, Iowa.

Bulldogs blanked by Prairie Wolves in 2023 home debut

Mar. 23, 2023

SEWARD, Neb. – The 2023 home debut for the Concordia University Softball team was spoiled on Thursday (March 23) evening by visiting Nebraska Wesleyan University. The former GPAC rival rode the pitching arm of Elise Warneke to a pair of shutout victories, taking decisions by scores of 4-0 and 8-0 (five innings). The Bulldogs were limited to a combined nine hits on a chilly evening at Plum Creek Park.

Head Coach Brock Culler’s squad had been idle since its final game of the Tucson Invite played back on March 10. Concordia (11-12) will attempt to quickly flush Thursday’s results and move on.

For much of the evening, the Bulldog pitchers matched zeroes with Warneke. There two innings in particular that got away from Concordia. The home team surrendered four runs in the fifth inning of game one and then seven runs in the fifth inning of game two. Thirteen of the Prairie Wolves’ 24 hits on the day came in those two frames alone. It was a fine outing for former Bulldog Val Gerlach, who went 5-for-6 out of the cleanup spot for Wesleyan.

Any time Warneke (9-4) did find herself in trouble, she always made pitches to work her way out of it. The Bennington, Neb., native covered all 12 innings on the day and scattered nine hits while accumulating 11 strikeouts (compared to just one walk). Concordia left seven runners on base in game one and stranded four more in game two.

The Bulldog starting pitchers on Thursday were Megan Eurich and Brooke Townsend. Eurich was able to escape several jams before finally running into trouble in the fifth inning of game one. An error to start the frame proved costly, helping Nebraska Wesleyan push across three unearned runs. Eurich surrendered one earned run while pitching a seven-inning complete game in the opener. In game two, Townsend kept Concordia tight until the nightmare fifth inning. She wound up pitching 4.2 innings before Katie Stachura made a relief appearance.

From a hitting perspective, Hanna Bowers had the most success for the Bulldogs. She went 3-for-7 on the day. Meanwhile, Kylie Shottenkirk went 2-for-5.

Nebraska Wesleyan moved to 13-7 overall this season. The Prairie Wolves qualified for regionals at the 2022 NCAA Division III Championships. On Wednesday, Nebraska Wesleyan was defeated twice by Midland.

The week at home will continue on Saturday when the Bulldogs are slated to begin conference play. Morningside (13-6, 0-0 GPAC) will serve as the opponent for a doubleheader set for a 1 p.m. CT first pitch from Plum Creek Park. The Mustangs landed at No. 3 in the conference preseason coaches’ poll.

Pitching, defense rule the day in GPAC opening split

Mar. 25, 2023

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.

Series win streak halted with two losses in Crete

Mar. 28, 2023

CRETE, Neb. – A seven-game series win streak over rival Doane fell by the wayside on Tuesday (March 28) in Crete, Neb. Up against former ally Camry Moore and the Tigers, the Bulldogs were defeated by scores of 6-2 and 7-5. There were signs of progress offensively compared to the past week, but Concordia allowed opportunities to slip through its fingers. It standard the bases loaded to end the second game.

Head Coach Brock Culler’s squad had opened conference play this past Saturday with a split versus Morningside. The Bulldogs dipped to 12-15 overall (1-3 GPAC) after two competitive losses.

“We couldn’t momentum going our way offensively,” Culler said. “We’d get some runners on and then we’d end the inning. We would set the table, but then we couldn’t finish it. There were times where we hit the ball hard right at them. This last game we had the bases loaded with a chance to tie it or take the lead. Our team played hard and kept competing, which is always good to see.”

Moore wound up getting credit for a win in game one and a save in game two. It was Moore who was called upon to put out the fire in the seventh inning of game two. Concordia got within two runs on Julia Van Wey’s double to center field. The bases were then loaded with only one out when Moore induced a fielder’s choice and then a strikeout to lock up a sweep for Doane. The Bulldogs left 10 runners on base in game two.

Concordia did manage to take a lead early in both ends of the twin bill. Caitlyn McGarvie singled in two runs in the top of the third in game one, putting the Bulldogs up, 2-1, at the time. Zoie Isom then delivered an RBI single in the first inning of game two. On the day, three Concordia batters produced exactly three hits: Van Wey (3-for-7), Kylie Shottenkirk (3-for-6) and Delanie Voshell (3-for-7). Collectively, the Bulldogs amassed 15 hits over the two games.

In the circle, Culler went with Megan Eurich in game one and Jerzi Rowe in game two. Eurich racked up eight strikeouts in six innings but also allowed six runs (five earned) on 10 hits and a walk. Rowe then surrendered seven runs (five earned) on 11 hits and three walks in 5.2 innings. At the plate, Moore went 3-for-6 against her former teammates. She fired a complete game and helped Doane (16-10, 3-1 GPAC) avoid late drama in the day’s first contest.

The results weren’t what the Bulldogs wanted, but Culler liked his team’s approach. Said Culler, “We talked about it after hitting last night (regarding facing Moore) and how we needed to control our emotions. We did a good job of it. We didn’t get wrapped up in any of that stuff.”

Concordia will be back at Plum Creek Park on Saturday to host Hastings (8-12, 3-1 GPAC) in a 1 p.m. CT doubleheader. The two programs split last season’s twin bill that was played in Hastings. Culler served the Broncos last season as an assistant coach.

Bats stifled as Bulldogs swept by Broncos

Apr. 1, 2023

SEWARD, Neb. – The Concordia University Softball team happens to have many of its top hitters battling through slumps at the same time. Hastings pitchers Kyleigh Boever and Sophia Haverkamp took advantage on a sun-soaked Saturday (April 1) afternoon at Plum Creek Park in leading the visiting Broncos to a doubleheader sweep by scores of 4-2 and 8-2. Concordia let a late lead slip away in game one and struggled to capitalize when it did have scoring chances offensively.

Head Coach Brock Culler’s squad has started out 1-5 in conference play (12-17 overall). The culprit in many of those losses has been an inability to get the clutch hits with runners on base.

“We talked about how we’re doing enough to win with our pitching and defense,” Culler said. “We’re just in a hitting slump. We have to be really careful right now because it’s kind of thin ice. We can tilt this way and let it keep going that direction, or we can settle down and trust that we’re good. We really do have some good hitters who are just in a slump. We’re going to trust that we’ll bust out of it. I feel like we’re playing well – we’re just not hitting.”

Of course, some credit is certainly due to Hastings (11-13, 5-1 GPAC) for the way that it limited the Bulldog bats. In game one on Saturday, Concordia nearly made three hits stand up as it took a 2-1 lead to the seventh inning. In another strong performance in the circle, Megan Eurich couldn’t quite seal the deal. Sydney Schelkopf doubled in the go-ahead run and Macie Mays singled in an insurance tally. Boever then nailed down the final three outs in the bottom half to close out a come-from-behind win for the visitors.

The second game got away from the Bulldogs thanks to the Broncos tacking on two runs in the fifth and four in the seventh. Those tallies broke what had been a 2-2 tie after four innings. Gretna, Neb., native Jerzi Rowe came through with a two-out, two-run single in the third. That would be it for Concordia’s run production as Haverkamp stymied the opposition the rest of the way. Haverkamp followed Boever’s seven-inning complete game with one of her own.

Eurich pitched all seven innings of game one for the Bulldogs and allowed four runs (three earned) on seven hits and a walk (six strikeouts). Then in game two, Rowe, Brooke Townsend and Jessie Bestenlehner all made appearances in the circle. Hastings collected 13 hits in game two – two doubles and 11 singles. Hanna Bowers produced one hit in both games for the home team.

Concordia is 1-5 in its first six home games. The bats have been cold at Plum Creek Park. The goal is to warm things up in a hurry with two of the league’s highest rated teams set to visit town next weekend.

Said Culler, “I think it’s a good thing to have that kind of challenge. We have two good teams coming in and we have to be on top of our game. When we’ve gotten a couple hits, the stop sign has come up. We have to stay calm and know that we’re going to find a way out of this. When we do, we’re going to be fine.”

The Bulldogs will now be idle until an Easter weekend home bonanza that will feature GPAC doubleheaders on Friday and Saturday (April 7-8). On the first of those two days, Concordia will welcome defending GPAC champion Midland (17-6, 2-0 GPAC) to Plum Creek Park for a 1 p.m. CT twin bill. The two programs faced off in the 2021 GPAC Championship Series.

Bulldogs fall flat in pair of losses to Midland

Apr. 7, 2023

SEWARD, Neb. – This was a forgettable day on the diamond for Concordia University Softball. The Bulldogs were no-hit in Friday (April 7)’s game one and made a combined nine errors in the doubleheader that was swept by defending GPAC champion Midland. The Warriors emerged from Plum Creek Park with wins by scores of 7-0 and 8-1. Midland pitcher Aliyah Rincon was just one defensive play short of firing a perfect game in a magnificent outing in the circle.

Head Coach Brock Culler’s squad is still searching for answers at the plate. Concordia (12-19, 1-7 GPAC) has dropped seven-straight GPAC games after defeating Morningside in the conference opener.

Without question, Rincon’s pitching performance was the story of the day. The reigning GPAC Pitcher of the Year racked up 15 strikeouts while not surrendering a single hit or walk. Friday’s first contest turned ugly during a second inning that saw the Bulldogs commit four errors, including one with two outs that cleared the bases. Carly Pfitzer helped punctuate the win for Midland by delivering a two-run homer.

Concordia never had a lead at any point on Friday. The Warriors (21-6, 6-0 GPAC) jumped on top in game two when Roni Foote sent a two-run homer over the wall, capitalizing on another Bulldog error. Concordia finally got its first run of the day when a Hanna Bowers’ fielder’s choice included an error that allowed Kylie Shottenkirk to score in the third inning. Shottenkirk singled twice and stole a base in game two.

In game one, Bulldog ace Megan Eurich threw better than what the final score indicated. The sloppiness defensively resulted in three unearned runs out of the seven she allowed. Eurich posted seven strikeouts while conceding eight hits and a walk. In game two, both Jerzi Rowe (4.1 IP) and Brooke Townsend (2.2 IP) saw action in the circle. After firing the no-hitter in game one, Rincon followed it up by going 2-for-3 with a homer and three RBIs in game two.

The Bulldogs will do it all over again on Saturday at Plum Creek Park. Thirteenth-ranked Northwestern (29-2, 6-0 GPAC) will be the opponent to wrap up the weekend in another 1 p.m. CT doubleheader. Concordia and Northwestern played each other four times in 2022 with the Red Raiders triumphing in three of those contests.

Dawgs toppled by GPAC-leading Northwestern

Apr. 8, 2023

SEWARD, Neb. – In an exceedingly challenging weekend, the Concordia University Softball team found out what it takes to reside at the top of the league standings. While continuing the pre-Easter homestand, the Bulldogs were defeated on Saturday (April 8) by 13th-ranked Northwestern, 6-0 and 8-3. A three-run bottom of the sixth in game two is what Concordia will attempt to build upon as it reflects on a weekend that saw it come up empty.

Head Coach Brock Culler’s squad has dropped nine league games in a row since beating Morningside in its GPAC opener. Nearly halfway through the conference slate, the Bulldogs stand at 1-9 in conference games (12-21 overall).

Concordia is still trying to rediscover some of the offensive firepower it showed earlier in the spring. The way things have transpired lately, the Bulldogs have felt snake bitten. Concordia was shut out on four hits in Saturday’s game one despite regularly squaring the ball up over the final four innings. With two on and two out in the third, Delanie Voshell’s hot smash to third was snared on a diving attempt. That particular play is emblematic of how the Bulldogs have fared of late.

Northwestern (31-2, 8-0 GPAC) outplayed Concordia when it came to fundamental softball and struck when the iron was hot. A defensive miscue by the Bulldogs in the first inning of the day made it look like a continuation of Friday’s struggles versus Midland. The Red Raiders pounced behind Kameryn Etherington, who got the pitching win in game one and totaled five of her team’s 20 hits on the day. When Northwestern did run into a bit of trouble, reliever Kate Kralik was able to shut the door. She earned saves in both ends of the twin bill.

At long last, Concordia strung some hits together in the sixth inning of game two. The Bulldogs came to life while jumping all over the first pitch of their at bats. The three-run outburst was ignited by Kylie Shottenkirk’s leadoff double. Run-scoring hits were then delivered by Hanna Bowers (double), Taylor Glause (double) and Caitlyn McGarvie (single). Concordia wound up leaving runners at first and third and trailed 6-3 at the time. The Red Raiders responded with two runs in the top of the seventh to stamp out the momentum that had been built.

At the top of the Bulldog lineup, Shottenkirk walked twice in game one and then notched two hits in game two. Concordia managed a combined 11 hits for the day, showing improvement over Friday’s meager offensive output. There hasn’t been much margin for error for a pitching staff headed by Megan Eurich. The sophomore from Gretna, Neb., covered all seven innings in game one and allowed the six runs on nine hits and two walks (six strikeouts). Jerzi Rowe (1.2 IP) and Brooke Townsend (5.1 IP) pitched game two. Townsend surrendered only two earned runs in her extended relief appearance.

The Bulldogs will be idle until next weekend’s (April 14-15) road matchups at Jamestown (14-11, 0-2 GPAC) and Dakota Wesleyan (6-23, 1-9 GPAC). Due to continued wintry weather up north, the twin bill at Jamestown may be played elsewhere. For the latest updates, check the Concordia Softball home page and follow @cunebulldogs on Twitter.

Extra-inning lead slips away, Bulldogs drop two to Jamestown

Apr. 14, 2023

ABERDEEN, S.D. – The Concordia University Softball team feels snakebit at this point. The Bulldogs fell twice more on Friday (April 14) despite owning a three-run, eighth-inning lead in game one of the doubleheader. Jamestown came away with wins by scores of 6-5 and 7-2 in action that took place at the home of Northern State University in Aberdeen, S.D., where temperatures hovered in the 40s. On a positive note, Concordia catcher Taylor Glause recorded the 100th hit of her collegiate career.

This was a matchup of two teams that have struggled in conference play. Unfortunately, the skid continues into the weekend for Head Coach Brock Culler’s squad, which stands at 12-23 overall (1-11 GPAC).

“Right now, our pitching is consistent and our hitting has gotten better,” Culler said. “Our defense isn’t good enough and that’s really hurting us. We hit the ball and the momentum was in our favor (in the eighth inning of game one). Our kids were excited – our fans were excited. We were hitting the ball hard but right at people in the second game. It was one right after the other. A lot of us have never been in a streak like this before, but we’re going to keep fighting through it.”

The Bulldogs are still looking for a conference win that could help turn the tide over the second half of the GPAC regular season slate. Friday’s first game looked promising when Concordia struck for three runs in the top of the eighth. Glause broke the 2-2 tie with an RBI double (100th career hit). The Bulldogs tacked on thanks to Caitlyn McGarvie’s RBI single and Julia Van Wey’s RBI double. McGarvie led the offensive attack with three hits, including a pair of doubles.

However, the 5-2 lead melted away as Jamestown (15-15, 2-6 GPAC) won in dramatic fashion. A two-run triple by Ally Battistoni tied the score, 5-5, with one out in the bottom of the eighth. Concordia pitcher Megan Eurich then retired the next batter on a come-backer before a wild pitch chased home the walk-off run for the Jimmies. The rough bottom of the eighth spoiled what had been a strong outing for Eurich, who piled up 10 strikeouts in 7.2 innings. The sophomore from Gretna, Neb., surrendered two runs in the first and then put up zeroes in the second through seventh frames.

In game two, Jamestown pitcher Abby Blair worked six strong innings (one earned run allowed) and one big inning doomed the Bulldogs. The Jimmies rattled off five runs in the third inning in taking a commanding 6-0 advantage. Concordia got its runs via Kylie Shottenkirk RBI double in the fifth and a McGarvie bases-loaded walk in the seventh. The game’s final out was recorded with the bags full of Bulldogs.

Also noteworthy, Concordia’s defensive play was a bit too leaky with five combined errors on the day. Offensively, the Bulldogs totaled 14 hits, including three apiece from Glause, McGarvie and Shottenkirk. In game two, Jerzi Rowe pitched all six innings, allowing seven runs (two earned) on 10 hits and two walks while striking out two.

The Bulldogs will remain in South Dakota in preparation for Sunday’s doubleheader at Dakota Wesleyan (6-23, 1-9 GPAC). First pitch is set for 1 p.m. CT from Cadwell Park in Mitchell. The twin bill was originally slated to be played on Saturday, but it was pushed back one day due to expected inclement weather. Concordia and DWU split a doubleheader last season in Seward.

Cathartic win comes in breakout game two at DWU

Apr. 16, 2023

MITCHELL, S.D. – At long last, the Concordia University Softball team has tasted victory again. A disappointing game one on Sunday (April 16) at Dakota Wesleyan gave way to an encouraging game two in what amounted to a doubleheader split in Mitchell, S.D. Both games ended by the run rule as the Tigers took the first one, 11-3 (six innings), before the Bulldogs rebounded in the second one, 13-3 (five innings), behind starring performances from the likes of Jessie Bestenlehner and Hanna Bowers.

Head Coach Brock Culler’s squad managed to snap a nasty 12-game skid. Perhaps the game two win will be the start of a strong finish to the regular season for Concordia, which stands at 13-24 overall (2-12 GPAC).

“Game two was a clear night and day difference (from game one),” Culler said. “Jessie Bestenlehner threw really well and brought a bunch of energy to the field. She also hit the ball really well today. The defense played much better behind her and our offense finally popped. I’m really hoping that our team will build off the success we had in game two and carry that into our matchup with Briar Cliff … Game one, we were flat and just didn’t compete like we want our team to.”

The offensive outburst in game two was a cathartic moment for a team that had needed the confidence boost. The Bulldogs put crooked numbers on the board in three-straight innings – four in the second, four in the third and five in the fourth. Bowers cleared the bases with a triple in the third and singled home a run apiece in the second and fourth frames. Bestenlehner also drove in a run with a base in the fourth, helping her own cause.

Bestenlehner (3-for-3) and Bowers (3-for-4 with five RBIs) both notched three hits in the win. Three of their teammates contributed two hits apiece: Caitlyn McGarvie (2-for-3 with two runs), Julia Van Wey (2-for-3 with three runs and an RBI) and Kylie Shottenkirk (2-for-4 with a double and a run). The offense piled up 14 hits and four walks in one of its best performances of the 2023 season.

In the circle, Bestenlehner picked up her second collegiate win in covering all five innings of game two. She allowed two earned runs on six hits and two walks to go along with one strikeout. Megan Eurich got the ball in the circle in game one and went four innings with seven runs allowed on nine hits and two walks. Brooke Townsend then pitched 1.1 innings before the run-rule went into effect. DWU (7-26, 2-12 GPAC) tagged Concordia pitchers for 15 hits in game one.

In game one, Bestenlehner and Taylor Glause both drove in one run. Tiger reliever Katelyn Farris pitched 2.2 scoreless innings and the home team got three hits out of McKenna Thomason in the win. Meanwhile, Peyton Bagley and Jaden Warner collected three RBIs apiece.

The season’s final weekend of home action is coming up April 21-22 when the Bulldogs will host Briar Cliff (23-9, 7-3 GPAC) and Mount Marty (13-14, 6-6 GPAC) for doubleheaders. As part of the twin bill versus the Lancers on April 22, Concordia will recognize its senior class.

Celebration of seniors to highlight season's final weekend of home action

 Apr. 17, 2023

SEWARD, Neb. – Following a weekend trip to South Dakota, the Concordia University Softball team looks forward to its final weekend of home action. The Bulldogs are getting set to welcome Briar Cliff and Mount Marty to Plum Creek Park for GPAC doubleheaders. As part of the occasion on Saturday, Concordia will honor a group of four seniors. The hope is to build upon Sunday’s 13-3 win over Dakota Wesleyan in game two of the twin bill in Mitchell, S.D. That result snapped a 12-game losing streak. Head Coach Brock Culler’s squad (13-24, 2-12 GPAC) will likely need to stack victories down the stretch if it is to qualify for the eight-team GPAC tournament.

This Week

Friday, April 21 vs. Briar Cliff (23-9, 7-3 GPAC), 2 p.m. DH
--Live Webcast/Stats | Location: Plum Creek Park (Seward, Neb.)

Saturday, April 22 vs. Mount Marty (13-14, 6-6 GPAC), 1 p.m. DH
--Live Webcast/Stats | Location: Plum Creek Park (Seward, Neb.)

By the numbers

·        Culler and company never expected to be in this situation after they edged Morningside, 2-1, in the GPAC opener on March 25. Concordia couldn’t buy a break over the next couple of weeks and was swept in GPAC doubleheaders by Doane, Hastings, Midland, No. 13 Northwestern and Jamestown. The string of defeats sent the Bulldogs towards the bottom of the league standings. Currently, Concordia is tied with Dakota Wesleyan (2-12 GPAC) for 11th place. Entering the week, there are eight GPAC teams with at least six conference victories. In other words, the bottom four teams in the standings will have to win consistently down the stretch (and get some help) in order to move into the final top eight.

·        The matchup with Jamestown on April 14 was moved to Northern State University in Aberdeen, S.D., due to the fields in North Dakota remaining unplayable. The Bulldogs simply failed to finish game one, allowing a 5-2 lead in the bottom of the eight to slip away. Concordia had earned the lead in the top half of the inning when Taylor Glause and Julia Van Wey both delivered an RBI double as part of a three-run frame. In the bottom half, the Jimmies (15-15, 2-6 GPAC) tallied four back-breaking runs on three hits. The walk-off run scored on a wild pitch (final score of 6-5). It was an otherwise solid outing for pitcher Megan Eurich, who racked up 10 strikeouts in 7.2 innings. At the plate, Caitlyn McGarvie went 3-for-4 with two doubles, a run and an RBI. Then in game two, the Bulldogs trailed the entire way and were doomed by Jamestown’s five-run third inning. Both Glause and Kylie Shottenkirk came away with two hits in the 7-2 defeat.

·        A disappointing 11-3 loss (six innings) in game one at Dakota Wesleyan led into an encouraging 13-3 win (five innings). Game one got away from Concordia when the Tigers tallied three runs apiece in the fourth and fifth innings. The response in game two was what Culler would have hoped for. At the top of the lineup, Hanna Bowers went 3-for-4 with a triple and five RBIs and freshman Jessie Bestenlehner supplied an obvious spark. The Millard South High School product went 3-for-3 with two runs and an RBI at the plate and earned the pitching win while covering all five innings (two earned runs). In addition, two hits apiece were notched by McGarvie, Shottenkirk and Van Wey. At long last, the Bulldogs earned their first win since March 25.

·        It was an absolute must for the bats to heat up if Concordia was to break out of its slump. The results this past weekend were a step forward. Over the four games in South Dakota, the Bulldogs batted .311 (33-for-106) with nine doubles and two triples. The top individual hitters over that stretch were Bestenlehner (.571; 4-for-7), McGarvie (5-for-11; .455), Shottenkirk (.429; 6-for-14), Aubrey Bruning (.333; 4-for-12), Bowers (.333; 4-for-12) and Glause (.308; 4-for-13). Bowers’ five RBIs were tops on the team. On the season, four Bulldog regulars are batting above or near .300: Shottenkirk (.360), Bowers (.350), Bruning (.309) and McGarvie (.299). Overall this season, Concordia has averaged 4.4 runs per game.

·        Glause reached a career milestone in the doubleheader against Jamestown when she recorded the 100th hit of her collegiate career. By weekend’s end, Glause’ career total stood at 103 hits. The Malcolm, Neb., native played one season at Cloud County Community College before transferring to Concordia. She collected 48 hits at Cloud County and now has 55 hits as a Bulldog. With 93 career hits, Van Wey is also on the verge of reaching that milestone. In the history of Bulldog Softball, there are 16 players that have produced at least 150 hits. The all-time leader remains Concordia Athletic Hall of Famer Mindy (Evans) Miller with 227.

·        The four seniors that will be honored on Saturday are Caitlyn McGarvie (Valparaiso, Neb.), Jerzi Rowe (Gretna, Neb.), Sydney Schildt (Milford, Neb.) and Alexis Tachovsky (Wilber, Neb.). Among the seniors, McGarvie has garnered the most accolades having twice been named First Team All-GPAC. In four seasons, McGarvie has played in 136 games and has batted .344 with 81 runs scored 124 hits, 24 doubles, eight triples, two home runs and 59 RBIs. As for Rowe, she will graduate early as a three-year member of the program. Rowe has appeared in 58 games and owns a 4.55 ERA and 19 wins in 247.2 innings. Each of the seniors were part of the 2021 team that advanced to the GPAC Championship Series and qualified for the national tournament.

The opponents

Briar Cliff has made a nice leap forward in 2023. The Chargers finished last season at 19-22 overall (9-13 GPAC). Head Coach Erin Bly has led this year’s squad to a 23-9 overall mark. Briar Cliff returned 2022 Second Team All-GPAC honoree Kylee Lukes, who is hitting .316 with 13 extra-base hits and a .568 slugging percentage this season. The biggest strength of the team has been its pitching thanks to the work of newcomers Maddi Duncan (13-4, 1.66 ERA, 8.64 K/7) and Katelyn Kotlarz (9-4, 1.88 ERA, 10.34 K/7). The Chargers rank first in the GPAC in strikeouts per seven innings (8.98) and third in the league in ERA (2.00). Briar Cliff was ranked third in the most recent official GPAC poll.

Mount Marty enjoyed the best season in its program’s history last season when it went 32-16 overall and placed in a tie for third in the GPAC. From that squad, the Lancers brought back all-conference award winners in Bailey Kortan (second team) and Abigail Page (second team). Mount Marty has lacked some of the firepower it displayed last season, but Elisabeth McGill is hitting a robust .424. The team’s top pitchers have been Makayla Graunke (5-7, 2.27 ERA) and McKenzie Gray (6-6, 4.62 ERA). Now in her second season as Head Coach, Kayla Bryant led the program to a 2022 GPAC tournament title and a trip to the national tournament.

Next week

The regular season will wrap up next week as the Bulldogs will play at College of Saint Mary on April 25 and at Dordt on April 29. The GPAC tournament will get started with pod play on May 3.

One-run games go the way of Briar Cliff

 Apr. 21, 2023

SEWARD, Neb. – The results on Friday (April 21) were as unforgiving as the wind that blew out of the northwest. As part of the season’s final weekend homestand, the Concordia University Softball team put itself in position to win both ends of the afternoon doubleheader before faltering in the late innings versus Briar Cliff. The visiting Chargers came away with wins by scores of 1-0 (eight innings) and 6-5 on a day when the temperature never quite reached 50 degrees. Bulldog ace pitcher Megan Eurich took a loss in game one despite not allowing a single earned run.

Head Coach Brock Culler’s squad has slipped to 13-26 overall (2-14 GPAC) with six games remaining in the regular season.

“All you can ask for is that your kids show up and play hard every day – and that’s what we’re doing,” Culler said. “Offensively, we got things good going and that was good to see. Our pitchers threw really well, especially Megs. That first game, she was amazing. Defensively, we didn’t make some plays we needed to make and extended their innings. We’ll continue to make it an emphasis to make plays behind our pitchers.”

In what’s been strong sophomore campaign for Eurich, this might have been as good as she’s been all season. The Gretna, Neb., native worked quickly, allowed five hits (all singles) and issued only one free pass. Eurich set the Chargers down in order in three separate innings. In the circle for Briar Cliff, Maddi Duncan (16-4) matched Eurich zero for zero. Duncan went all eight innings and allowed five baserunners (four hits and one walk) while piling up 10 strikeouts.

Because of fine pitching on both sides, the outcome of game one came down to a drama-filled eighth inning. Briar Cliff pushed across an unearned run on Kylee Lukes’ single, which scored a runner who had reached on an error. In the bottom half, the Bulldogs added to the tension when Delanie Voshell walked and Hanna Bowers singled with two outs. However, Duncan induced a grounder to third to complete the shutout.

Things got sloppy in game two as Concordia committed seven errors. Most of those miscues did not hurt the Bulldogs, who built a 5-2 lead at the end of five innings. Bowers and Taylor Glause came through with an RBI single apiece in the fifth inning. The Chargers (28-10, 10-4 GPAC) responded with three runs on four hits and two walks in the top of the sixth. Extra outs cost Concordia in the top of the seventh when three errors helped Briar Cliff bring in what proved to be the game-winning run.

Freshman Jessie Bestenlehner threw the first six innings of game two for the Bulldogs and notched five strikeouts. Brooke Townsend then covered the seventh and surrendered the aforementioned unearned run. Offensively, Concordia was led on the day by three hits from Bowers (.352 batting average on the season) while Aubrey Bruning collected two hits. The Bulldogs have struggled to protect the home turf having gone 1-11 at home in 2023.

The Bulldogs will be right back at Plum Creek Park on Saturday to host Mount Marty (15-16, 8-8 GPAC) at 1 p.m. CT. Between games of the doubleheader, Concordia will recognize four seniors: Caitlyn McGarvie, Jerzi Rowe, Sydney Schildt and Alexis Tachovsky. The Lancers are the defending GPAC tournament champions and were a 2022 national qualifier.

Seniors honored, Bowers continues raking in split with Mount Marty

Apr. 22, 2023

SEWARD, Neb. – It was another chilly day at Plum Creek Park as the Concordia University Softball program honored a group of four seniors in between games of the season’s final home doubleheader. At the top of the order, Hanna Bowers and Aubrey Bruning combined for nine hits on Saturday (April 22) as the Bulldogs split with Mount Marty. Concordia topped the Lancers, 7-4, in game one before falling in game two, 4-2.

Head Coach Brock Culler’s squad has been largely competitive despite its 3-15 mark in league play (14-27 overall). The Bulldogs went 1-3 on the weekend with their three losses coming by a combined margin of four runs.

“The first game we were able to put together a couple good innings offensively,” Culler said. “Megs (Megan Eurich) threw a lot of pitches coming off the day she had yesterday. Defensively, we seem to have four or five really good innings and then we have that one inning where we shoot ourselves in the foot. Our team kept grinding and we made a run at the end of game two. We’re in every game but can’t seem to get over the hump.”

Saturday’s game one started out rocky as Mount Marty put two runs on the board in the top of the first (while leaving the bases loaded). Eurich settled in and executed her pitches the rest of the way while getting the benefit of a five-run second from the Concordia offense. That outburst began when Julia Van Wey was hit by a pitch. Run-scoring hits came from Zoie Isom, Bowers (two-run single) and Bruning. Another run came around when the Lancers threw errantly to first on Delanie Voshell’s sacrifice bunt.

The killer B’s of Bowers and Bruning wore out the base paths. In game one, Bowers went 3-for-3 with two runs, a walk, a double, a stolen base and two RBIs while Bruning went 3-for-4 with a stolen base and two RBIs. They combined to reach base 10 times on the day while setting the table. As the winning pitcher in opener, Eurich covered all seven innings and allowed only two earned runs on six hits and four walks (three strikeouts).

The results overall this season haven’t been what Concordia had hoped for, but Bowers has set an example with her consistency and reliability. Said the Surprise, Ariz., native, “It meant a lot (to get a win for the seniors). These seniors have impacted my time here, and one of them is my throwing partner. It was very important that we won at least one of these games for them because they’ve done so much for me.”

The Bulldogs trailed most of game two after Mount Marty (16-17, 9-9 GPAC) put up two runs in the top of the third. In relief of Jerzi Rowe, Brooke Townsend kept Concordia close while allowing just one run in four innings of work. In the bottom of the seventh, the Bulldogs made some noise with the help of Bruning’s RBI single. A strikeout ended the game with the potential tying run at the plate. McKenzie Gray fired all seven innings for the Lancers and surrendered just one earned run.

Culler expressed gratitude for a senior group that has helped him lay the groundwork in year one as head coach. The seniors are Caitlyn McGarvie, Jerzie Rowe, Sydney Schildt and Alexis Tachovsky. Said Culler, “The seniors have been great for me. Since I got here day one, they’ve helped me understand the history of things here and who each one of these players are. They’ve helped with all kinds of stuff on the field and off the field. They’re really good people. I really enjoy being around them. They’re going to do great things after school here. We’ll miss having them around.”

All that remains in the regular season are two road doubleheaders. Next on the docket, the Bulldogs will head to Omaha to take on College of Saint Mary (5-30, 2-14 GPAC) on Tuesday. First pitch from Heritage Park is slated for 3 p.m. CT. Concordia won two of three meetings last season (including one in the GPAC tournament) with the Flames.

Split salvaged at CSM with come-from-behind win

 Apr. 25, 2023

OMAHA, Neb. – Timely hitting and strong pitching helped carry the Concordia University Softball team to a game two victory at College of Saint Mary in the doubleheader played in Omaha on Tuesday (April 25). One rough inning prevented the Bulldogs from having any chance in game one. The Flames won by the run rule, 10-2, in five innings before Concordia responded with a 4-2 win. Sophomore Hanna Bowers delivered a two-run double that proved to be the game-winning hit in game two.

Head Coach Brock Culler’s squad is in the midst of its final week of the 2023 season. The Bulldogs (15-28, 4-16 GPAC) are aiming to finish strong while also building momentum for next year.

“Defensively we played really well and Jerzi (Rowe) threw really well,” Culler said of the game two win. “Then we put Jessie (Bestenlehner) in she closed that thing out for us. The middle infield double play we turned in the seventh was just huge – and Hanna Bowers just keeps swinging it for us.”

Following the run rule in game one, the second contest started inauspiciously when CSM put two runs on the board in the bottom of the first. However, the pitching and defense of the Bulldogs ruled the final six innings as Rowe and Bestenlehner combined to stamp out the Flames. Offensively, Bowers drove in each of the team’s first three runs, the first of which came on a sacrifice fly in the third. Then in the fifth, Bowers chased Deleesi Bartling and Delanie Voshell home with a two-bagger. An insurance run came in the top of the seventh when Aubrey Bruning singled in Emma Kirby.

The Gretna, Neb., native Rowe fired scoreless second, third and fourth innings while earning the 20th pitching victory of her career. When Rowe ran into trouble in the fifth, Culler turned to the freshman Bestenlehner, who went three innings to pick up the save. Bestenlehner entered the game with two on and no out in the fifth and proceeded to induce a strikeout, a pop out and a strikeout. The Millard South High School product also coaxed a critical 6-4-3 double play in the seventh to squelch a potential threat. The Bulldog defense played error free over the final six innings.

The win helped lessen the sting from game one. As Culler mentioned, ace pitcher Megan Eurich was hitting her spots. The Flames simply caught fire in the third inning when they plated nine runs on eight hits. CSM (6-33, 3-17 GPAC) later ended the game by the run rule with a fifth-inning homer from Daisy Lowther. Aubrey Bruning led Concordia in game one by going 2-for-3 with a stolen base and a run. Meanwhile, Caitlyn McGarvie walked twice and stole a base.

By day’s end, Bowers’ season batting average stood at .362. She’s been a consistent force at the top of the lineup and has a bright future ahead as just a sophomore out of Surprise, Ariz.

Said Culler of Bowers, “Her approach to everything is so business-like. When she gets to the plate, she knows exactly what pitch she wants. When she gets it, that’s what she goes after. She’s just swinging it so well.”

The Bulldogs will wrap up the 2023 regular season on Saturday with a trip to Sioux Center, Iowa. The doubleheader with Dordt (32-10, 13-5 GPAC) is slated to get underway at 1 p.m. CT from the Open Space Softball Complex. The two sides split a twin bill last season in Seward.

Sophomore class lands three Bulldogs on All-GPAC honor roll

SEWARD, Neb. – The sophomore class stood tall when it came time to name the 2023 all-conference award winners. The Concordia University Softball program was represented with 2023 Honorable Mention All-GPAC honors by sophomores in infielder Hanna Bowers, outfielder Aubrey Bruning and infielder Kylie Shottenkirk. The conference unveiled the list of honorees on Tuesday (May 9).

The three aforementioned Bulldogs enjoyed strong campaigns as Head Coach Brock Culler completed his first season leading the program. Each of those juniors-to-be will be key parts of the 2024 roster.

A native of Surprise, Ariz., and graduate of Willow Canyon High School, Bowers earned a starting role in 2023 and opened all 45 games at either second base or shortstop. As the team’s most consistent offensive force, Bowers batted .361 (52-for-144) and paced the team in hits (52) and total bases (72) while ranking second in slugging percentage (.500). Bowers also totaled five stolen bases, 12 doubles, a triple, two home runs and 25 RBIs and achieved a .416 on-base percentage. In the field, Bowers converted 164 of 179 chances for a .916 fielding percentage.

Bruning joined Bowers near the top of the lineup and led the team with a .427 on-base percentage in 2023. The Lincoln Southeast High School alum appeared in 41 games (32 starts) in the outfield and batted .363 (29-for-80) with 21 runs scored and eight stolen bases. As an outfielder, Bruning handled 34 of 36 chances for a .944 fielding percentage. In two seasons as a Bulldog, Bruning has played in 84 games and has totaled 58 hits (.305 batting average).

Shottenkirk began to realize her immense potential in 2023 as she batted .360 (41-for-114) while tying Bowers for a team high with 12 doubles and led the squad with a .544 slugging percentage. The Lincoln North Star High School product also totaled 21 runs, three home runs, 21 RBIs and four stolen bases and sported a .430 on-base percentage. Shottenkirk mostly split her 37 games played between shortstop and second base. She was named the GPAC Player of the Week on March 7. In 83 career games at Concordia, Shottenkirk has batted .335 with 17 doubles, three triples, five home runs and 44 RBIs.