Concord Records Two Shutout Victories over UVa.-Wise

ATHENS, W.Va- The Concord University softball team shutout UVa.-Wise in two games at the CU Softball Complex on Wednesday afternoon in Mountain East Conference play.

Concord improves to 16-18 overall (5-5 MEC), while UVa.-Wise falls to 15-11 overall (6-4 MEC)

GAME 1: Concord 1 - UVa.-Wise 0  
Senior Pitcher/Outfielder Sarah Herndon's gem in the Circle and sophomore outfielder Lindsey Stahl's first home run of the season helps Concord take one-run victory over Cavaliers.      

An early pitcher's duel between Herndon and UVa.-Wise's Taylor Brandts saw the Cavaliers and the Mountain Lions remain deadlocked until sixth inning. 

The Cavaliers came closest to scoring in the first inning after two singles left UVa.-Wise with runners on first and second with two outs.  However, Herndon
induced a groundout that she handled herself to stave off UVa.-Wise and maintain the shutout. 

Concord had the bases loaded in the second inning behind back-to-back walks to senior outfielder Lauren Lewis and senior pitcher Allie Reid. Sophomore first
baseman Lauren Blunt also got on base in the inning after being hit by a pitch. 

However, Concord couldn't punch a run in and the game remained scoreless.   

The deadlock was broken in the sixth inning when sophomore outfielder Lindsey Stahl, coming into the game as a pinch hitter, belted a ball down the left field line that cleared the fence and gave CU a 1-0 lead. 

Herndon closed the game out with style, retiring three of the next four batters in the top of the seventh with two strikeouts. 

Herndon (3-6), picked up her third win of the season, moving her into fifth all-time in career wins at Concord. The Berryville, Virginia native posted nine strikeouts, tying her career-high, while allowing just four hits. 

Stahl's home run was her first in the Maroon and Gray since a two-home run game at Fairmont on April 8, 2016. 

Herndon and Lewis picked up the other hits for the Mountain Lions. 

GAME 2: Concord 2 – UVa.-Wise 0
Reid quieted UVa.-Wise at the plate for a  second straight game and the Mountain Lions received timely hitting to complete sweep of the Cavaliers.    

The Mountain Lions put a run on the board early in game two, notching one score in the bottom of the second inning.   

Freshman second baseman Jenna Witt started the inning off for Concord with a one-out single. Junior third baseman Alycea Watson then moved Witt to second base on a single up the middle one batter later. 

Later on in the frame, junior catcher/outfielder Chelsea Shepherd made contact with the ball, scoring Witt on an Cavaliers' throwing error.

The Mountain Lions tallied an insurance run in the fifth inning when Stahl hustled down the line to beat out the throw from third for a single. 

The Brownsburg, Indiana native then stole second to set up senior shortstop Alayna Furr. 

Furr provided a timely single up the middle to score the speedy Stahl from second and give CU a 2-0 lead. 

The Cavaliers threatened in the bottom of the seventh inning after putting runners on the corners with one out in the inning. 

Reid calmly dispatched the final two batters to win the game, with Witt scrambling back from second base into right field for a pop out, and a sprawling play from the slick-fielding junior Watson at third to earn the final out.

Concord earned its fifth win of the season in shutout fashion, with Reid (6-7), allowing five hits while striking out five batters in her 10^th complete game of the year. 

The Lovettsville, Virginia native tied the all-time wins record at Concord, evening with Lacey McDougall at 35 career wins.

Furr posted two hits in the game, with Witt, Watson, and Stahl providing the other hits for CU. 
 
Concord travels to Charleston and West Virginia State for four more divisional games this weekend.