DOING WORK

POWER HITTING & PITCHING LEAD TO SWEEP OF BLUEFIELD STATE

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Concord's Softball team has some work to do to secure a berth in the WVIAC Tournament.  Hopes for a return trip to the playoffs rely in part on taking care of the task at hand against teams behind them in the standings.

Which is exactly what the Lady Lions did on Thursday.

Concord combined a productive offense and solid pitching to sweep Mercer County rival Bluefield State, 8-0 (on the run rule) and 4-1, in a conference doubleheader at the CU softball complex in Athens.

CU outhit the Lady Blues 22-11 and kept the visitors off the scoreboard until the last inning of the second game.


GAME ONE
BOXSCORE / PLAY-BY-PLAY

Concord starting pitcher Tamara Smith threw a five-hit shutout, and the CU offense got going in the bottom of the 4th.

Katelyn Williams led off with a single, and BSC starter Loren Whited hit Brooke Bowling with a pitch. Whited would retire the next two hitters, but Smith made the most of the chance to help her own cause with a two-out RBI single to left that broke a scoreless tie.

The Lady Lions then started to play long ball.

Ericka Davies led off the 5th with a solo home run, putting Concord up 2-0.

Williams led off the 6th with a solo home run (upper left) over the high fence in left center, making the score 3-0.

Bowling followed by ripping a double into the left field corner, and Sheila Davies brought her home with an RBI single to left.
That brought up Stephanie Harper, who crushed a two-run shot (right) to left that stretched the CU lead to 6-0 and forced Bluefield State into a pitching change.  Kari Chaffin relieved Whited.
Smith greeted the newcomer with a double to the right field gap. One out later, Tiffany Kobordo singled to drive in Smith, and went to second on the throw to the plate.
That proved important. Casey Ord singled to right and Kobordo scored from second, ending the game on the eight-run rule.

Williams, Bowling and Smith each had two hits to lead the Concord offense. Bowling doubled twice, raising her team-high season total to 12. Williams' home run was her third of the season; Harper's was her first.


GAME TWO
BOXSCORE / PLAY-BY-PLAY

Concord carried over the momentum from the first game, busting out for three runs off Chaffin in the bottom of the 1st.

Becca Gleason led off with a single, stole second, and moved to third on Williams' sacrifice bunt.
Bowling hit her third double of the day, this time to right center, scoring Gleason. Sheila Davies followed with a double of her own, bringing in Bowling. Davies would later score and CU was ahead 3-0.

The Lady Lions added another run in the 4th. Rachel Mack led off with a single and stole second; Emily Gallagher lined a sharp single to right to bring her home.

Meanwhile, in the pitching circle, Bowling (left) allowed just two singles through the first four innings before getting into a two-out jam in the 5th. Tara Havens and Beverly Neutsil hit back-to-back singles and each advanced a base on a wild pitch. But Bowling recovered to strike out Lindsey Cuba to end the threat.

Concord got runners in scoring position in the 5th and 6th but came up empty, which made the top of the 7th more interesting. Bluefield State finally got on the board when Havens drove in Whited with an RBI single, and the Lady Blues put runners at second and third with two outs and the tying run at bat.
But Bowling induced Cuba to ground out to second to end the game and complete the sweep.

Bowling complemented her complete-game pitching victory (6 hits, 1 run, seven strikeouts) by going 2-4 at the plate. She finished the day 4-6 with three doubles, two RBIs and two runs scored.
Gleason, Ord and Sheila Davies each had two hits for CU in game two, with Ord posting her first triple of the season.

For the day, CU hit .423 (22-52) with six doubles and three home runs.


Up next for Concord is a visit to Ohio Valley for a WVIAC doubleheader on Saturday, April 16 at 2:00 pm. The Lady Lions return to Athens the next day to host West Virginia State in a conference twinbill at 2:00 pm. Admission is free.


^{(statistics provided by Concord SID GA Brandon Besl)}

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