SOFTBALL: ENDING THE WAITING GAME

CU SPLITS WITH OHIO VALLEY IN WVIAC OPENER

Due to bad weather, Concord's softball team had to wait five days before it could play its WVIAC opener.  The Mountain Lions then had to wait until the last at-bat before deciding the outcome of each game of its doubleheader against Ohio Valley.

The Mountain Lions rallied to win the first game, 4-3 in eight innings, and dropped the nightcap, 4-2, Monday afternoon at the CU softball complex in Athens.
Winning Run vs OVU
GAME ONE
BOXSCORE PLAY-BY-PLAY

Concord's Stephanie Harper and Ohio Valley's Ally Southall locked up in a pitchers' duel.  The Fighting Scots took a 1-0 lead on Leigh Murphy's solo home run in the top of the 4th, and Southall made it stand up until the bottom of the 7th.

Pinch-hitter Mandy Workman led off by drawing a walk.  One out later, she moved to second on Ericka Davies' groundout.  With CU down to its last out, freshman Brantlea Wood lined a single to center to bring in Workman and send the game to extra innings.

In the top of the 8th, with the tie-break rule in effect, Ohio Valley took advantage of two Concord errors to score twice for a 3-1 lead.  But their defense would betray in the bottom of the inning.

Southall retired the first batter she faced, but Whitney Carrigan singled to drive in Jessica Seymour and draw Concord within 3-2, and Stephanie Harper doubled to left to give CU runners at second and third.

Southall retired the next batter, and induced Lacey McDougall to hit a sharp ground ball to shortstop Chanel Bouchard for what appeared to be the final out.  But Bouchard's throw flew over the head of first baseman Sarah Simmons, and Carrigan and Harper scored (above left) to give the Mountain Lions the victory.

Harper went all eight innings to earn the pitching victory, allowing five hits.  She also paced the CU lineup with two hits of her own.
Lacey McDougall Catch

GAME TWO
BOXSCORE / PLAY-BY-PLAY

Ohio Valley moved in front with a pair of runs in the top of the 3rd and would hold the lead from there.

Concord got within 2-1 in the bottom of the 4th, on singles from Wood and Becca Gleason and an RBI double from McDougall.  The Mountain Lions pieced together three singles in the 5th, but could not score.

The Fighting Scots took a 3-1 lead in the top of the 6th on Brittany Shepley's RBI single.  Concord countered with a run in the bottom of the inning, when Gleason singled and McDougall hit another RBI double.

Ohio Valley pushed across an insurance run in the 7th, on George's two-out RBI single, and the cushion proved valuable.  Seymour singled to lead off the bottom of the inning and moved to third on two passed balls.  CU had the potential tying run at the plate with two outs, but OVU reliever Kayla Linger retired the Mountain Lions' final batter.

Wood, Gleason and McDougall each had two hits to pace the CU offense.


Up next for Concord (12-12, 1-1) is a matchup against defending WVIAC champion West Virginia Wesleyan on Wednesday, March 28 at the CU complex in Athens.  First pitch is scheduled for 3:00 pm.



(statistics provided by CU SID GA Becky Brouse)








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