EVENLY MATCHED

LADY LIONS SPLIT; CLINCH SEASON SERIES AGAINST WVU TECH

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When Concord and WVU Tech play softball, they play close games.

The Lady Lions split a non-conference doubleheader with the Golden Bears Thursday afternoon in Athens, dropping the first game 4-3 before taking the nightcap 3-1.

CU won the season series 2-1, outscoring WVU Tech 12-10 and totaling 23 hits to the Bears' 19. Two of the games were decided by one run, the other by two, and one meeting went to extra innings.

Thursday, the Golden Bears used the long ball to win the first game, while Concord got another sterling performance from pitcher Brooke Bowling (above left) to take game two.

GAME ONE
BOXSCORE / PLAY-BY-PLAY

The visiting Golden Bears scratched out single runs in the first two innings, on Ali Holmes' sacrifice fly in the 1st and Stephanie Nickell's two-out RBI single in the 2nd.

The Lady Lions broke through with a run in the bottom of the 3rd, on back-to-back doubles by Casey Ord and Bowling.

Concord moved in front with two runs in the 4th. Tamara Smith (right) launched a one-out double that scored Emily Gallagher. Rachel Mack's infield single moved Smith to third, and a wild pitch from Bears pitcher Stephanie Sang brought Smith into score. Concord led 3-2.

But the advantage didn't last long. Amy McLaughlin led off the top of the 5th with a single, bringing up Sang. Perhaps still peeved at her pitching mistake the inning before, Sang took out her frustrations with her bat. Her two-run home run over the left field wall put Tech ahead 4-3.

Back in the circle, Sang held Concord hitless over the last three innings to preserve the victory.

Bowling and Smith each had two hits to lead the CU offense.


GAME TWO
BOXSCORE / PLAY-BY-PLAY

Bowling posted another superlative pitching performance, limiting the Golden Bears to two singles and one unearned run. She walked three and struck out eight in earning a complete-game victory.

Her only stumble came in the top of the 4th, when Tech scored its only run. Bowling walked two hitters and was hurt by CU's only error of the game.

But she recovered nicely, retiring Tech in order in the 5th and 6th before Shayla Cook singled to lead off the 7th.

But Bowling struck out Whitney Patrick, then induced Erica Schoolcraft to ground into a game-ending 4-6-3 double play (left).

Concord's offense got to Bears pitcher Jessica Stapleton early, pushing across single runs in the 1st and 2nd.

In the 1st, Mack walked with one out and Bowling singled to right center. Sheila Davies singled to left to load the bases, and Katelyn Williams drove in Mack with a groundout to shortstop.

In the 2nd, Tiffany Kobordo singled with one out, then stole second. Becca Gleason steered a groundball up the middle for a base hit, bringing in Kobordo and lifting CU to a 2-0 lead.

Concord would get a runner on base in each of the next three innings, but came away empty. That wasn't the case in the 7th, due again to their running game.

Williams singled with one out, and moved into scoring position by stealing second. The theft paid off when Nickell, the Tech shortstop, committed a throwing error on a ground ball hit by Smith.

As Nickell's wayward toss bounced toward the fence behind first base, Williams came around to cross home plate with an important insurance run that closed out the scoring.

Concord got hits from six different players, including two from Mack.

Up next for the Lady Lions is a return to conference play, with a visit to Davis & Elkins for a WVIAC doubleheader on Saturday, April 9. First pitch is scheduled for 2:00 pm in Elkins, WV.


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

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