PEMBROKE, N.C. – The Concord University split a pair of games on the opening day of the UNC-Pembroke Invitational.
The Mountain Lions won their first game of the day, 6-3, over the host UNCP before falling, 9-8, against Pfeiffer in the nightcap. CU is now 3-3 on the season.
Concord was led by sophomore outfielder / shortstop
Lauren Lewis who was 2-for-8 with three runs scored, a home run and four RBI for the two games.
Game 1: Concord 6 – UNC-Pembroke 3CU took advantage of two fielding errors by the Braves in the first inning to grab a three-run lead and never look back.
Sophomore third baseman / first baseman
Courtney Purtell led off the game with a single and moved to second when senior pitcher / outfielder
Lacey McDougall reached on a fielding error by the left fielder for UNCP.
After being sacrified to third, Purtell scored on junior second baseman / outfielder
Kristen Rose's sac fly to left field. On the sac fly, junior pitcher
Allie Reid advanced to third to put herself in position to score on Lewis's RBI single.
After stealing second base, Lewis scored on consecutive passed balls by UNC-Pembroke's catcher to give CU its final run of the first inning.
The Braves answered with a run in the bottom of the first before Rose added to CU's lead with a third inning solo home run, her first of the season.
UNC-Pembroke captured some late-game momentum with two runs in the fifth inning to trim CU's lead to 5-3, however, it was quickly extinguished as the Mountain Lions added an insurance run in the sixth on a fielder choice's Purtell scoring freshman outfielder
Emily Fry, who was pinch-running for senior first baseman / pitcher
Brantlea Wood.
In the circle, McDougall picked up her second win of the season as she pitched all seven innings, scattering eight hits, allowing just one earned run and striking out two batters.
Game 2: Pfeiffer 9 – Concord 8A five-run sixth inning was too much for the Mountain Lions to overcome versus the Falcons.
CU jumped out to an early 5-0 advantage after the first inning.
Five straight batters reached base for Concord beginning with a walk by Reid with one out. The Mountain Lions proceeded to get singles from Morris, McDougall and freshman third baseman / shortstop
Alycea Watson. McDougall and Watson's singles scored Reid and Morris, respectively.
Lewis put an exclamation point on the first inning by launching a three-run home run, her first of the season.
Pfeiffer scored a run in the second and two in the third to draw to 5-3. However, the Mountain Lions appeared to take control of the game with RBI singles from Benvenuto and sophomore pitcher / outfielder
Sarah Herndon in the third.
Pfeiffer rang up five runs in the sixth to seize the lead away from CU.
The Mountain Lions' were able to get a run back in the seventh inning on an RBI groundout from Watson scoring senior outfielder
Jessica Seymour, but Concord came up short 9-8.
Freshman pitcher / outfielder
Katie Snodgress (0-1) was charged with the loss in relief effort.
McDougall, Morris and Watson all had multi-hit games with McDougall collecting three hits.
Concord will play Kutztown 9:00 a.m. Saturday.
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