HICKORY, N.C.- The Concord University softball team defeated Johnson C. Smith 9-0 before dropping a 2-1 decision to Lees-McRae College to close out the Bear Bash Tournament hosted by Lenoir-Rhyne Sunday afternoon.
Concord is now 4-2 overall. Johnson C. Smith drops to 0-5, while Lees-McRae improves to 4-8 overall.
GAME 1: Concord 9 – Johnson C. Smith 0
A bright start from the bats of the Mountain Lions helped CU cruise to a 9-0 victory over Johnson C. Smith. Senior shortstop
Alayna Furr started things off with a leadoff double in the top of the first, before another double by senior pitcher
Allie Reid helped bring Furr home from second. Reid eventually stole home, while freshman second baseman/shortstop
Jenna Witt scored later on a wild pitch.
Freshman utility player
Amber Stokes drove in two more runs in the inning, plating freshman outfielder/pitcher
Darby Fitzpatrick and freshman first baseman/pitcher
Rachel Pritchard on an RBI double. Furr came around to bat for a second time in the inning and provided the final RBI on a single to score sophomore infielder
Kylie Kent.
The Mountain Lions added to their lead in the third inning courtesy of an RBI each from Kent and Stokes.
Stokes rounded out the Concord scoring in the top of the fifth inning with another RBI, her fourth of the day, from a sacrifice fly to bring home senior third baseman
Courtney Purtell.
Fitzpatrick earned her first win of the season in the circle (1-0), allowing just five hits and striking out one over five innings.
Reid and Furr each notched two hits and an RBI each plate.
GAME 2: Lees-McRae 2 – Concord 1
Lees-McRae got a decisive run in the top of the ninth to narrowly edge the Mountain Lions in game two Sunday.
After a scoreless first four innings, the Bobcats struck first, tallying a run on an RBI single to take a 1-0 lead.
Concord answered with a run of its own in the sixth inning after three consecutive singles from Furr, sophomore outfielder
Lindsey Stahl and Lewis opened the inning for Concord with the bases loaded and no outs.
The Mountain Lions managed to tack on a run from the situation after a fielding error from the Bobcats allowed Furr to score from third.
Neither team could manage another hit in the game until the top of the ninth inning when the Bobcats managed to score on an RBI double to take a 2-1 win.
Stahl notched the third multi-hit game of her career. Furr, Lewis and Reid accumulated the other hits for CU.
Reid (2-1), took the loss in the circle for Concord.
Concord travels to Myrtle Beach, South Carolina for the Snowbird Freeze Out Tournament from February 17-19.
