BUCKHANNON, W.Va. – The Concord University softball team picked up a Mountain East Conference road sweep Friday evening by defeating West Virginia Wesleyan, 2-1 and 7-4, at Culpepper Field.
Game 1: Concord 2 – West Virginia Wesleyan 1 (Nine Innings)
Senior pitcher/outfielder
Cartney Schoolcraft and junior pitcher/outfielder
Laura Thompson combined to stymy the Bobcats' (0-2) offense while junior third baseman/outfielder
Sarah Thompson drove in both CU (5-9) runs.
The early stages of the game featured a duel between L. Thompson and Wesleyan's Abigail O'Shields as neither team found the scoreboard until the sixth inning. S. Thompson led off the frame with her first home run of the season to give CU a 1-0 lead.
Though L. Thompson retired the WVWC lineup in order in the bottom of the sixth, the Bobcats managed to manufacture a run in the seventh on a sacrifice fly to tie the game, 1-1. L. Thompson did, however, strand the game-winning run in scoring position to send the contest to extra innings.
Wesleyan was primed to win the game in the eighth inning as it loaded the bases, but Schoolcraft—working her first inning of relief—induced a fly out to strand three Bobcats.
With two outs in the top of the ninth, the Thompson sisters combined to scratch a run across for the Mountain Lions. L. Thompson singled to center field and stole second during her sister's at-bat. With the go-ahead in scoring position, S. Thompson drove her sister in with a base knock to right field.
Once again, WVWC threatened in the bottom of the frame. Back-to-back hits put runners at second and third with two outs, but Schoolcraft got a popup in foul ground to end the game.
L. Thompson tossed seven innings, scattering three hits and one run while striking out three. Schoolcraft (1-2) earned the win in the circle by tossing two scoreless innings, allowing three hits.
S. Thompson had two hits and two runs.
Game 2: Concord 7 – West Virginia Wesleyan 4
The Mountain Lions scored the final four runs of the game to earn a comeback victory for the sweep.
CU scored in its first at-bat to jump out to an early 1-0 lead, but Wesleyan quickly responded with three runs in the second inning. But the lead was short lived as S. Thompson started the top of the third with a single before senior utility
Jenna Witt hit her third home run in the last four games to even the score.
Wesleyan answered with a run in the bottom of the third. The lead would stand up until the top of the fifth when senior pitcher/outfielder
Darby Fitzpatrick sent a two-out triple to the left center field to bring home Witt.
Neither team was able to score in the sixth, but the Mountain Lions put together extended rally in the seventh. L. Thompson and Witt drew walks before Fitzpatrick singled to load the bases. An error during the next at-bat scored L. Thompson, and kept the inning alive for senior catcher/utility
Kaitlyn Stewart to bring in two runs with a single and push CU ahead 7-4.
Sophomore pitcher/outfielder
Josie Brewer allowed a single in the bottom of the seventh, but ended the game with back-to-back strikeouts.
Fitzpatrick, Stewart and Witt combined for five of the nine CU hits as well as five RBI.
Brewer (2-3) tossed the final 5.1 innings as she gave up one run on six scattered hits while striking out four.
Concord concludes its MEC road swing 1:00 p.m. Saturday at Davis & Elkins.
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