STILL ROLLING

LADY LIONS CONTINUE HOT STREAK WITH SWEEP OF KING COLLEGE

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Concord's Softball team accelerated its stretch drive Tuesday afternoon, sweeping King College (TN) in a non-conference doubleheader in Athens.

The Lady Lions won by different styles. CU pounded out 12 hits in an 8-0 win in the first game, which ended after six innings on the run rule, then prevailed in a 2-1 pitcher's duel in the nightcap.

Concord has won five of its last six games. There are six regular season games on the schedule, all against WVIAC opponents.

GAME ONE
BOXSCORE / PLAY-BY-PLAY

Concord's offense began and ended with two-run home runs.
Katelyn Williams hit the first in the bottom of the 1st (her team-high 5th homer of the season) and Sheila Davies hit the other in the bottom of the 6th, which capped a three-run rally that ended the game on the run rule.

The Lady Lions had a chance to score more in the 1st, loading the bases with nobody out after Williams' homer, but King starting pitcher Samantha Watts got out of the jam.

However, Concord reached Watts for three runs in the 2nd. With one out, Becca Gleason singled and Williams doubled, and Brooke Bowling brought them both in with a single to left.  Two batters later,  Stephanie Harper drove in Bowling with a double off the wall in left. CU led 5-0.

Meanwhile, Concord pitcher Tamara Smith got into a rhythm. The sophomore right hander allowed two singles in the top of the 1st, but settled down to retire 11 batters in a row before Shauna Haga singled with one out in the 5th.

Smith (right) allowed only four singles and didn't issue a walk in notching her fourth shutout of the season.

Concord closed the scoring in the 6th. Casey Ord drew a leadoff walk, Gleason singled, and Williams' sacrifice bunt advanced them both. Bowling lofted a sacrifice fly that scored Ord, bringing up Davies, whose home run over the left field fence brought the contest to an end.

Seven of Concord's starters got at least one hit. The first five hitters in the lineup – Gleason, Williams, Bowling, Davies and Harper – combined to go 10-16 with two home runs, two doubles, eight RBIs and seven runs scored.

GAME TWO
BOXSCORE / PLAY-BY-PLAY

Concord picked up where it left off, scoring in the bottom of the 1st on an RBI single from Davies (left).

But runs would be harder to come by, as CU's Rachel Mack and King's Rachel Wilmoth locked up in a pitcher's duel.

The Tornado used small-ball to get their first run on the day in the top of the 3rd. Aubree Hutt led off with a single, and wound up on third after Cassie Ringstaff's sacrifice fly. Hutt's hustle paid off when Lauren Wilson brought her in with a sacrifice fly.

CU used its own brand of small-ball, and clutch hitting, to push across the decisive run in the bottom of the 5th. Ord led off with an infield single, stole second, and moved to third on Gleason's groundout. After Williams popped out, Bowling drove a two-out RBI single to left to bring Ord across and give the Lady Lions the lead.

King would get a runner in scoring position with one out in the 6th, but Mack closed the door.
In the 7th, Tiffany Brand led off with a single, but Mack got Tiffany Harris to pop out. Jena Rickard, after missing on a bunt attempt, was called out on batter's interference, and Mack induced Hutt to ground out to Bowling to end the game.

The Tornado out-hit Concord 8-6, and had at least one hit in every inning. But Mack limited King to 1-14 (.071) with runners on base.
Mack also paced Concord's offense by going 2-2.


Up next for Concord is a WVIAC doubleheader against Fairmont State on Friday, April 22 at the CU softball complex adjacent to Callaghan Stadium in Athens. It will be Senior Day and the Lady Lions will honor their lone upperclassman – Kaylyn Klatt – in a pre-game ceremony.
First pitch is scheduled for 3:00 pm. Admission is free.


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

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