HIT AFTER HIT

CU OUTHITS BLUEFIELD STATE 29-11 IN DOUBLEHEADER SWEEP

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The Concord Softball team piled up 29 hits on the way to sweeping Bluefield State in a WVIAC doubleheader Wednesday night at Graham Recreation Park in Bluefield, VA.

The 10-1 and 6-3 victories aided the Lady Lions' hopes of qualifying for the conference tournament at the end of the month. The league's top 12 teams make the field, and Wednesday's sweep improved CU to 17-18, 7-11 in the conference, good for 11th place. 

Freshman pitcher Tamara Smith worked 11 innings in getting the win in both games, while freshman first baseman Kristen McClure went 7-9 to pace the offense.

GAME ONE	R	H	E	LOB
Concord	10	18	2	13
Bluefield State	1	2	6	2

 
Concord stumbled early. The Lady Lions gave up an unearned run in the bottom of the 1st, then misfired on a pair of scoring opportunities.

In the top of the 2nd, McClure led off with a single and Stephanie Harper reached on an error on Lady Blues P Megan Powell. Tamara Smith followed with a bunt that Bluefield State misplayed into an infield single, but the Lady Blues recovered to throw out McClure on a close play at the plate. Powell got the next two outs to end the inning.

In the top of the 4th, McClure led off with a double into the left corner; Emily Gallagher came in as a courtesy runner. Harper beat out a bunt for a single. With Tamara Smith up, Powell threw a wild pitch -- the ball bounced right back to C Virginia Smith, who flipped to Powell, who came in to tag out Gallagher in another close play at the plate. Powell induced two straight groundball outs to again turn away CU.

The Lady Lions finally broke through with four runs in the 5th.
Katie Billingslea started the rally with a sharp single to left; Sam Clement then hit a ground-rule double over the fence in right-center. Becca Gleason lined a single to center to score Billingslea and Brooke Bowling reached on an error to load the bases.
McClure rocketed a one-hop single to score Clement, and Harper hit a sacrifice fly that brought in Gleason.
One out later, Mariel Wilson drew a full-count walk to reload the bases; Amber Burch hit a ground that turned into a BSC error and the final run of the inning. 


The Lady Lions turned the game into a rout with a six-run rally in the 7th. Tamara Smith singled, advanced to second on a throwing error by Blues CF Bev Netusil, and moved to third on a passed ball. Burch brought her in with a single to center. Billingslea singled to center, and she and Burch advanced on a wild pitch. Clement hit an infield single that scored Burch; Gleason doubled to straightaway center to bring in Billingslea and Clement.
Bowling singled to center, and McClure struck again with a double to left that plated Gleason and Bowling to close out the scoring.

CU's Smith went the distance in the circle, allowing only two hits and one unearned run. She walked one, struck out five, and retired 21 of the last 23 batters she faced. At the plate, she was 2-4.

McClure led the Lady Lions at the plate by going 5-5 with two doubles and three RBIs. Gleason was 3-5 with three runs and three RBIs. Clement was also 3-5, with a double, a run and an RBI. Billingslea was 2-3 and scored twice. 


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GAME TWO	R	H	E	LOB
Concord	6	11	0	7
Bluefield State	3	9	3	6

Concord got some help to score twice in the top of the 1st. With one out, Gleason singled; one out later, McClure doubled to put runners at second and third. Gleason was caught in a rundown, but came into score when 3B Stephanie Hutichison dropped the throw. McClure then scored on a wild pitch.

Bluefield State scored once in the bottom of the 1st, but the Lady Lions countered with two runs in the top of the 2nd. With one out, Burch singled, and Clement singled one out later. Gleason then crushed a doubled into the left field corner to score two runs and push Concord's led to 4-1.

Two seeing-eye bloop singles helped Bluefield State scratch out two runs in the bottom of the 2nd, but again Concord countered. In the top of the 3rd, Burch singled and advanced to second on a throwing error by LF Courtney Johnson. That error took on added weight after Wilson, the next batter, snuck a single into right field to bring in Burch and stretch the CU advantage to 5-3.

Concord added an insurance run in the top of the 6th. Harper led off with a single, advanced to second on a wild pitch, and moved to third on a groundout. One out later, Wilson hit a burner to the hole for an infield single that brought in Harper with the game's final run.

Burch and Wilson both went 2-3; Burch scored twice and Wilson drove in two.

McClure, Clement and Gleason each went 2-4 and scored a run.  Gleason drove in two runs and Clement stole a base. 





In the circle, Smith worked four innings of shutout relief to get the win. She allowed three hits, no walks, and struck out three. 

The Lady Lions will enjoy a couple days off before returning to play in a WVIAC doubleheader against Ohio Valley on Saturday, April 17th, on Concord's home diamond in Athens. First pitch is set for 12:00 pm EDT. 

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