SALEM, Va. – The Concord University softball team fell in its first game at the Mountain East Conference to Shepherd 6-5 before fighting off elimination with a shutout win over Fairmont State, 7-0.
CU is 18-26 this season.
Game 1: Shepherd 6 – Concord 5
The Rams scored four runs in the bottom of the seventh as Concord was unable to hold off a late rally.
SU grabbed an early lead after plating a run in the bottom of the first, however, the Mountain Lions had an answer in the top of the second as senior catcher / outfielder
Chelsea Shepherd knocked in senior third baseman
Alycea Watson who led off the frame with a single.
Shepherd regained a 2-1 edge in the bottom of the third before a big Concord rally in the top of the fourth. Sophomore second baseman / shortstop
Jenna Witt gave Concord a 3-2 lead with a two-run single. The next batter, junior outfielder
Abby Beatty, capped the rally with another single that scored Witt and sophomore pitcher / outfielder
Darby Fitzpatrick.
Shepherd threatened in the fifth as it brought the tying run to the plate before Fitzpatrick induced a popup to second to end the scoring chance for SU.
The Mountain Lions held onto the three-run advantage until the bottom of the seventh when the Rams strung four straight hits, scoring four runs to end the game.
Beatty and Witt each collected two RBI for CU.Shepherd, sophomore utility
Amber Stokes and Watson all finished with two hits.
Fitzpatrick (11-9) gave up six runs while striking out one batters in the circle.
Game 2: Concord 7 – Fairmont State 0
Six runs by the Mountain Lions in the fourth was more than enough for Concord to stave off elimination in the MEC Tournament.
After Witt tripled home sophomore pitcher / first baseman
Rachel Pritchard to get Concord on the board, Fitzpatrick and Pritchard started the rally in the fourth with an RBI single and RBI double, respectively. A walk to Witt loaded the bases to set up the biggest hit of the game. Beatty sent a grand slam over the left field fence to grow CU's lead to 7-0.
Fairmont State loaded the bases, but it was the only serious scoring threat the Fighting Falcons posed over the remainder of the game.
Freshman pitcher
Tara Williams and Pritchard combined to shut out FSU. Williams picked up her second win of season after scattering three hits over 5.1 innings. Pritchard recorded the final five outs with two outs coming on the strikeout.
Pritchard paced CU's offense with three hits. Fitzpatrick and sophomore utility
Amber Stokes each had two hits. AS a team, Concord tallied 11 hits. Beatty had four RBI in the contest.
The Mountain Lions face West Virginia Wesleyan 10:00 a.m. Saturday.
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