CLERMONT, Fla. – The Concord University softball team went 1-1 on its final day at The Spring Games as it defeated Kutztown, 7-6, before dropping a contest to Millersville, 9-5.
The Mountain Lions come back to southern West Virginia with a record of 8-7 overall.
Game 1: Concord 7 – Kutztown 6
CU jumped out a 4-1 lead through two at-bats and held off Kutztown late in the contest.
Freshman utility
Sarah Thompson scored the first run of the game for the Mountain Lions as she raced home on a Bears' error after she walked two batters into the game. Right after the KU error, senior catcher/first baseman
Lauren Blunt's single plated junior utility
Jenna Witt.
The Mountain Lions added two more runs in the top of the second as senior outfielder
Abby Beatty and senior utility
Kylie Kent provided back-to-back singles that brought in freshman pitcher/outfielder
Laura Thompson and Witt for a second time in as many innings.
Holding a 5-4 edge going to the top of the fifth, Concord added two insurance runs as S. Thompson notched her second RBI of the game while Witt followed with a run-scoring double to plate S. Thompson.
Kutztown added a run in the bottom of the fifth to draw within 7-5. The Bears made one last attempt to tie the game in the seventh as they recorded an RBI double with two outs in the frame, but junior pitcher/outfielder
Darby Fitzpatrick induced a groundout to end the game and picked up her first save of the season.
Sophomore pitcher/outfielder
Cartney Schoolcraft improved to 3-2 on the season as she gave up three earned runs on four hits over four innings. Schoolcraft added two strikeouts in her start.
The top of the CU order of the Thompsons and Witt combined to go 6-for-13 with six runs scored and three RBI. Fitzpatrick added two hits in the contest.
Game 2: Millersville 9 – Concord 5
The Mountain Lions were unable to overcome a 5-0 deficit as it lost by four runs.
Fitzpatrick and Millersville's Catherine Johnson were locked up in an early duel as only one run was scored in the first four innings.
However, the Marauders rallied for four runs with two outs in the fifth to open up a five-run advantage.
With Millersville up 6-1 going to the bottom of the sixth inning, CU stormed back to make it a 6-5 deficit. Beatty produced the first run with a one-out single, and sophomore catcher/utility
Kaitlyn Stewart plated two runs with a run-scoring triple right after Beatty's base knock. Stewart scored later in the frame on a passed ball.
After seeing their lead chipped away to a run, the Marauders answered with a three-run top of the seventh. The Mountain Lions were unable to rally for a second straight inning.
Stewart led the CU offense by going 2-for-3 with two RBI. Fitzpatrick and L. Thompson each added two hits.
Fitzpatrick (1-1) allowed five earned runs and struck out three hitters.
Concord begins Mountain East Conference play 2:00 p.m. Saturday against West Virginia State.
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