JEFFERSON CITY, Tenn. – The Concord University softball team opened its 2017 season with a pair of 3-1 wins against Carson-Newman in nonconference action on Saturday afternoon.
Concord improves to 2-0, while Carson-Newman falls to 2-2 on the young season.
Game 1: Concord 3 - Carson-Newman 1
CU plated three runs in sixth inning to come from behind to win game one.
After Carson-Newman scored a run from an RBI single, the Mountain Lions rallied in the top of the sixth inning for three runs after being held to only one hit through the first five innings.
Senior shortstop
Alayna Furr started things off with a leadoff double, before senior outfielder
Lauren Lewis brought Furr home with an RBI single.
Freshman second baseman
Jenna Witt singled as the next batter, before two wild pitches moved the runners to second and third.
Junior third baseman
Alycea Watson provided a timely double in center field to score both runners and give CU a 3-1 lead heading into the seventh.
Freshman pitcher
Rachel Pritchard closed the final four innings for Concord to earn her first career win in the Maroon and Gray, striking out two and scattering three hits.
Witt finished 2-for-3 with a run scored. Watson ended the game 1-for-2 with two RBI.
GAME 2: Concord 3 - Carson-Newman 1
CU rallied once again, this time to force extra innings, before winning to complete the sweep of C-N.
A solo home run from Carson-Newman gave the Eagles a 1-0 lead once again in the top of the third.
Heading into the top of the fifth, the two teams had combined to muster just three hits. With two outs, sophomore first baseman
Lauren Blunt singled to left center. Sophomore pitcher / outfielder
Abby Beatty wh was batting as a pinch-hitter then smacked a triple down the right field line to score senior third baseman
Courtney Purtell from first to tie the game at one.
Neither team could plate a run through the final two innings, sending the game into extras.
Beatty was called into action once again in the top of the eighth, singling down the right field line to give Concord a 2-1 lead. The single scored pinch runner and sophomore outfielder
Lindsey Stahl, who was placed on second to start the inning as part of the softball extra innings rule. Beatty scored later in the inning on a sacrifice fly from Lewis to add an insurance run.
Concord's defense and senior pitcher
Allie Reid combined to help hold on for a 3-1 win in the bottom of the eighth.
Reid earned her 30
th career win as a Mountain Lion in the circle, scattering five hits over eight innings while allowing just one run.
Beatty posted Concord's only multi-hit performance of the contest, going 2-for-2 with two RBI and a run scored.
Concord continues non-conference play when it travels to Hickory, North Carolina for a matchup against Mercyhurst on February 11
th as part of the Lenoir-Rhyne Tournament.
