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LADY LIONS JUST MISS SPLIT WITH LEAGUE-LEADING CHARLESTON

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The Concord Softball came oh-so-close to a split with one of the WVIAC's top teams Sunday afternoon.
The Lady Lions visited title-contending Charleston for a doubleheader, dropping the first game 4-0 and falling victim to a last-inning rally in a 2-1 loss in the nightcap.

Concord held on to the 10th spot in the WVIAC standings – which would qualify it for the conference tournament – despite the sweep. CU left the capital city at 20-21, 8-14 WVIAC, with six games left in the regular season.
All six of those contests will be against teams ahead of Concord in the league standings. 


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GAME ONE	1	2	3	4	5	6	7		R	H	E	LOB
Concord	0	0	0	0	0	0	0		0	3	0	3
Charleston	2	0	0	1	1	0	x		4	8	0	3

Charleston pitcher Stefanie Rossman – the runaway league leader in strikeouts and innings pitched – allowed only three singles while fanning ten and walking none in a complete game victory. She faced just 24 batters, or three over the minimum.

Meanwhile, the Golden Eagles pounced early on CU starter Tamara Smith. Kathy Jo Getz led off the bottom of the 1st with a single and went to second on a passed ball. A sacrifice moved her to third, and another passed ball brought her in to score.
With two outs, UC cleanup hitter Ashlea Wallace singled and stole second. Janeen Vazquez stroked an RBI single to stretch the host team's lead to 2-0.
Charleston got a solo home run by Logan Tretic in the 4th. In the 5th, an RBI single by Erica Bracey closed out the scoring. 

Freshman Samantha Clement (left) led Concord by going 2-3. Smith got CU's other hit, a two-out double in the 5th. 




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GAME TWO	1	2	3	4	5	6	7		R	H	E	LOB
Concord	1	0	0	0	0	0	0		1	4	0	2
Charleston	0	0	0	0	0	0	2		2	8	0	9

The Lady Lions reached Rossman for a single run in the top of the 1st, on an RBI single from Brooke Bowling that scored Becca Gleason, and it appeared CU starting pitcher Stephanie Harper would make that lone run stand up.

If this was a baseball game, Harper (right) would have spent nearly the entire contest working from the stretch. The freshman right hander turned away repeated Charleston threats to put CU on the verge of victory. 


In the bottom of the 1st, Getz launched a leadoff double, then moved to third on a Jana Salisbury sacrifice. But Harper struck out Bracey and induced Wallace to pop out.

In the 2nd, Vazquez led off with a single, moved to second on a sacrifice by Tretic, and reached third on a passed ball. Meanwhile, Harper walked Shawna Burgett and April Burnside – UC's #8 and #9 hitters – but struck out Sam Macias and got Vazquez to fly out to end the inning.

In the 3rd, Salisbury led off with a walk and stole second. Bracey singled to put runners at the corners. But Harper got Wallace to pop out to Bowling at second base, C Kaylyn Klatt picked Salisbury off third, and Vazquez grounded out to Kristen McClure at first.

In the 4th, Tretic drew a lead off and went to second on a sacrifice. But Harper stiffened again, getting Burgett and Burnside to ground out to close the door.

In the 5th, Getz stroked a leadoff single and moved to second on Salisbury's groundout to Clement at third. Bracey singled to put runners at the corners, then stole second, giving UC two runners in scoring position with one out.
Wallace followed with line drive ticketed to right field, but Bowling grabbed the shot and flipped to SS Alex Brown covering second to double off Bracey and turn away the Eagles yet again.

While Harper was living on the edge, Rossman rediscovered her dominating form to keep Charleston close. After Concord reached her for three singles in the 1st, Rossman retired Concord in order in five of the last six innings. The only Lady Lion to reach base was McClure, with a one-out single in the 4th.

Harper got the first two outs in the bottom of the 7th, but finally yielded. Salisbury and Bracey singled, and Wallace lofted a double that brought in both her teammates and gave Charleston a dramatic victory. 

The Lady Lions are set to play six games in three doubleheaders over the final weekend of the regular season.
Concord travels to 8th-place Seton Hill on Friday, April 23rd at 3:00 pm EDT, with a visit to 3rd-place Fairmont State set for 2:00 pm on Saturday, April 24th.
The Lady Lions return to Athens to host 5th-place Alderson-Broaddus on Sunday, April 25th, at 2:00 pm.

The WVIAC Tournament begins Thursday, April 29th, in Vienna, WV.

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