SALEM, W.Va. – The Concord University softball team scored 20 runs en route to a sweep over Salem, 13-7 and 7-3, Tuesday afternoon in a non-conference twinbill at Hope Field.
Concord moves to 18-9 on the season while Salem drops to 5-15 with the setback.
Game 1: Concord 13 – Salem 7
The Mountain Lions used a six-run outburst in the third inning to separate themselves from SU.
A Salem error in the first inning allowed freshman pitcher/outfielder
Laura Thompson and junior utility
Jenna Witt to score. And Thompson provided a second-inning run with a sacrifice fly in the second inning to score senior utility
Kylie Kent, who had singled with one out in the frame.
Up 3-1 after the Tigers scored a run in the bottom of the second, freshman utility
Sarah Thompson was in the middle of the third-inning scoring. Witt homered to lead off the inning, senior catcher/first baseman
Lauren Blunt raced in on an error and L. Thompson drew a bases loaded walk before S. Thompson cleared the bases with a double to left field, part of a five-RBI game.
Down 9-1, Salem fought back as it plated a run in bottom of the third and got within 9-7 after a five-run fourth.
Witt and Blunt answered with back-to-back doubles in the sixth to push Concord up 10-7. In the seventh, S. Thompson drove in two more runs with a bases-loaded single to bring home Kent and sophomore outfielder
Dani Bloomingdale who had both reached on base hits to start the frame. L. Thompson scored on a fielder's choice later in the seventh to complete the CU scoring.
S. Thompson was responsible for five of the 11 Concord RBI. Blunt and L. Thompson each had two RBI with L. Thompson scoring three runs. Witt matched L. Thompson's runs with three of her own as well as three hits. In the eight spot, Kent had three hits and three runs.
Sophomore pitcher
Tara Williams (3-2) struck out five batters over seven innings to earn her third win.
Game 2: Concord 7 – Salem 3
The Mountain Lions scored five runs in the first inning as they never looked back in game two.
The first six batters reached base in the five-run first as three Tigers' errors aided the rally. The errors led directly to three CU runs, but the rally was kick started by the Thompsons as L. Thompson led off the game with a triple before scoring on her sister's single during the next at-bat.
Kent's one-out RBI single in the second allowed L. Thompson to score for a second time in as many innings after she reached on an error to start the frame. S. Thompson completed her seven-RBI doubleheader with a run-scoring hit in the sixth.
The seven runs were more than enough for freshman pitcher/first baseman
Victoria Hanes who tossed six innings and allowed three runs (two earned). Hanes improved to 2-0 in the circle.
S. Thompson had three hits and two RBI in game two. Witt added two more hits and a run scored.
Concord resumes Mountain East Conference when it visits Charleston 2:00 p.m. Saturday.
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