SOFTBALL: CLOSED DOWN IN HOME OPENER

CU SWEPT BY LEES-McRAE

Stephanie Harper pitch
The Concord softball team finally played its first home games of the season – after more than a month's worth of games away from Athens – and found themselves facing some stingy visitors.

Lees-McRae College's pitching staff kept CU's bats in check with a pair of shutouts, sweeping a non-conference doubleheader, 3-0 and 6-0, at the CU softball complex.

The Bobcats' Laurel Gregg limited Concord to one hit in the first game, while Hollie Crickenberger allowed six hits in the nightcap.  CU went into the doubleheader having won six of its last eight games, including four in a row.

GAME ONE
BOXSCORE / PLAY-BY-PLAY

L-M pushed across single runs in the 1st, 3rd and 5th innings against CU starting pitcher Stephanie Harper (above right), who scattered six hits in five innings.  Freshman Karsyn Boothe threw two scoreless innings of relief, inducing four groundball outs.

CU's best chance to score came in the bottom of the 5th.  Ericka Davies led off with a single and Brantlea Wood sacrificed her to second.  But Gregg got the next two outs to end the threat.


Leading Off
GAME TWO
BOXSCORE / PLAY-BY-PLAY

Crickenberger and Concord starter Tamara Smith traded zeroes through the first four innings.  Lees-McRae broke through in the top of the 5th, piecing together three runs on four hits, included a two-out, two-run double by Kim Coley.  The Bobcats put the game out of reach with another three-run rally in the 7th.

Concord's best chance came in the bottom of the 6th, when Brantlea Wood and Becca Gleason hit back-to-back two-out singles.  But Crickenberger got out of the jam.


Up next for Concord (10-10) is a quick turnaround before another non-conference doubleheader.  CU hosts WVU Tech tomorrow – Wednesday, March 21 – with pitch scheduled at 3:00 pm.  Admission is free.


(statistics provided by CU SID GA Becky Brouse)






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