Concord's MEC Tournament Run Ends Saturday

SALEM, Va.- The Concord University softball team defeated Charleston 2-0 before dropping its second game of the day to Shepherd 3-2 at the Mountain East Conference Tournament at the Moyer Sports Complex.
 
Concord is now 30-28 on the season, while Charleston is 35-18 after the loss. Shepherd improves to 38-19 on the season. 
 
Game 1: Concord 2 – Charleston 0 
Senior outfielder Lauren Lewis came up with a timely hit in the contest, and senior pitcher Sarah Herndon twirled her second straight shutout as Concord stayed alive in tournament play.
 
After two scoreless innings to open the game, the Mountain Lions got on the board in the third after sophomore outfielder Lindsey Stahl singled down the right field line on an 0-2 count.  After a fielder's choice helped move Stahl to second with two outs, senior outfielder Lauren Lewis singled to center field to score Stahl and give CU a 1-0 lead in the top of the third. 
 
Concord added an insurance run in the top of the fifth inning after senior shortstop Alayna Furr tripled to left field to lead off the inning before advancing home on a throwing error by the Golden Eagles. 
 
The two-run cushion was more than enough for Herndon, who escaped a potential jam in the fifth inning after UC had runners on first and second with two outs. However, Herndon worked herself out of the scrape by forcing a ground out to freshman second baseman/shortstop Jenna Witt. 
 
The Berryville, Virginia native cruised through the final two innings in the circle, allowing just one hit.  The Concord defense also helped close the game out by forcing two double plays in the final two innings. 
 
Herndon picked up her seventh win of the season in a circle in the complete-game, six-strikeout performance. 
 
Lewis provided Concord's lone RBI of the game, as well as Concord's only multi-hit performance in a 2-for-4 effort. 
 
Furr, Stahl, sophomore pitcher/outfielder Abby Beatty, and Herndon each added a hit for Concord. 
 
Game 2: Shepherd 3 - Concord 2
 Shepherd fights back in two-run seventh inning rally to end Concord's Mountain East Conference Tournament run. 

Each team scored in the third inning as Beatty drove home Witt before Shepherd's Alexandra Witt hit a solo home run in the bottom half to tie the game at 1-1.

Shepherd threatened to tie the game in the bottom of the fourth after the Rams loaded the bases with one out. However, Herndon proved effective in escaping the jam once again, striking out the next batter for SU before forcing a line out to Jenna Witt and escape the situation unscathed. 
 
The Mountain Lions nabbed a 2-1 lead in the top of the fifth inning after a two-out single from Furr was followed up by a single from sophomore infielder K'ylie Kent to score Furr all the way from first. 
 
The Mountain Lions held on to the 2-1 lead all the way until the bottom of the seventh inning, when the Rams scored two runs on a two-out double by Rachel Taylor to give Shepherd a walk-off win.
 
Herndon pitched her second consecutive complete game, striking out four batters in the loss. 
 
Witt was 2-for-3 at the plate with a run scored, while senior pitcher Allie Reid, Beatty, Kent, and Furr each had a hit for CU. 
 
The Mountain Lions will await the results from Monday morning's selection show to see if they earn a bid to the 2017 NCAA Tournament.