Box Score 1 |
Box Score 2
ATHENS, W. Va. - The Concord University softball team dropped a pair of games to West Virginia Intercollegiate Athletic Conference rival the University of Charleston on a rainy Wednesday evening at the CU Softball Field, 7-2 and 3-1.
Concord (18-29, 6-16 WVIAC) was led by sophomore
Lacey McDougall and freshman
Alyssa Morris. Both players had three-hit days with one of McDougall's hits being a double in addition to one RBI. Senior
Stephanie Harper also registered an RBI in both games.
Game One– Charleston 7 – Concord 2
While Concord's offense was having trouble against Charleston (25-18, 16-6 WVIAC) pitcher Courtney Fain to start game one, CU junior pitcher
Rachael Mack did her best to keep the game within reach.
Mack (5-12) allowed just two runs over the first five innings before Charleston scored five runs in the sixth and seventh inning to take a commanding 7-0 lead. Mack pitched 6.1 innings before sophomore
Brantlea Wood came on in relief to record the final two outs in the top of the seventh.
The Mountain Lions broke up the shutout in the seventh inning when Harper drove a sacrifice fly to left field that scored senior
Becca Gleason, who led off the inning by reaching on a UC fielding error. Concord then plated its second run of the inning thanks to an RBI-double from McDougall that brought in Morris, who singled earlier in the frame.
UC ended the mini rally with a double play on a line drive by freshman
Kristi Benvenuto that resulted in McDougall being thrown out as she retreated to second base.
McDougall was 2-for-3 in the opener with one RBI. Morris and sophomore
Hayley Wade accounted for Concord's other two hits.
Game Two – Charleston 3 – Concord 1
The nightcap was a pitchers duel as both pitchers allowed runs in just one inning each. McDougall (9-14) started the game with four consecutive shutout innings while UC starter Morgan Aguirre tossed seven strikeouts.
With McDougall keeping the UC bats quiet early on; it was Concord which struck first with a run in the fourth inning.
Sophomore
Jessica Seymour and Morris led off the frame with back-to-back singles with Seymour proceeding to score on an RBI-groundout from Harper to give the Mountain Lions a 1-0 lead.
However, Charleston answered back with a four-hit, three-run inning in the fifth that included a two-run single from Kaylyn Butt that proved to be the game-winning hit. Benvenuto hit a two-out single in the seventh inning, but it wasn't enough as UC escaped with the two-run victory, 3-1, for the sweep.
McDougall, who gave up only two hits through the first four innings, has now allowed three or less runs in seven starts this season.
The Mountain Lions return to action Friday, April 26 at home in a conference doubleheader against West Liberty University. First pitch of game one is scheduled to begin at 2:00 p.m.
Friday will also be senior day at the CU softball field as Concord recognizes
Becca Gleason and
Stephanie Harper for their contributions to the program over the last four years prior to game one.
