ATHENS, W.Va. – Propelled by a big inning in each game, the Concord University softball team swept Charleston, 9-7 and 9-5, Sunday afternoon in Mountain East Conference play at the CU Softball Field.
The Mountain Lions improve to 11-8 on the season and 3-1 in the MEC while UC is now 6-11 overall and 1-3 versus conference foes.
Game 1: Concord 9 – Charleston 7
Concord used an eight-run third inning to separate itself before the Golden Eagles made a late comeback attempt.
Charleston was first to score as it plated two runs in the top of the third before the eight-run Mountain Lion rally.
Freshman pitcher/outfielder
Laura Thompson and freshman utility
Sarah Thompson started the frame by reaching base. A single from junior utility
Jenna Witt and two UC errors allowed all three runners to score pushing Concord ahead, 3-2. Back-to-back runners reached after Witt's single, and senior utility
Kylie Kent brought in a run with a single. Redshirt freshman utility
Skylar Jenkins drove in a run as did S. Thompson on a bases-loaded walk. Near the end of the inning, Witt was the 12
th bat to come to the plate where she drove in her second run of the frame.
CU added a ninth run in the fifth inning as L. Thompson's single brought in sophomore catcher/utility
Kaitlyn Stewart who had drawn a leadoff walk.
The Golden Eagles fought back with four runs in the top of the seventh, and had the tying run on base before junior pitcher/outfielder
Darby Fitzpatrick induced a groundout to end the game. Fitzpatrick secured her second save of the season.
L. Thompson was the winner in the circle as she improved to 4-3. She allowed three earned runs while striking out two batters. In addition, she added three hits at the top of the CU order.
Kent also recorded two hits while Witt notched two RBI.
Game 2: Concord 9 – Charleston 5
The Mountain Lions did all their offensive damage in the fourth inning as they quickly erased a 3-0 deficit.
Charleston came up with three runs in the top of the fourth inning after the teams had combined for just one hit in the first three innings.
Just like game one, the Thompson sisters reached base to start the rally in the fourth. Witt followed with a double to plate both runs. The Harpers Ferry, West Virginia native scored the tying run on a fielder's choice two batters later. An infield single by Stewart gave CU a 4-3 lead before junior utility
Amber Stokes broke the game open with a bases-clearing RBI single. L. Thompson was responsible for the final two runs as she singled in a score and raced home on a wild pitch.
UC scored a run each in both the sixth and seventh innings, but sophomore pitcher/outfielder
Cartney Schoolcraft quieted any rally attempt.
In the circle, Schoolcraft improved to 5-2 on the season as she became the first CU pitcher to strike out 10 or more batters in a start during head coach
Alisa Tasler's eight-year tenure at Concord. Schoolcraft needed 132 pitches to toss her second complete game of the weekend as she allowed three earned runs.
Senior catcher/first baseman
Lauren Blunt had two hits while Witt drove in two runs.
The Mountain Lions host Bluefield State in a non-conference doubleheader 6:00 p.m. Tuesday.
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