Concord Goes 1-1 at Bearcat/Fleet Invite

DUE WEST/GREENWOOD, S.C. – The Concord University softball team defeated Coker, 8-7, Saturday before dropping game two against Lander, 11-5, later in the day at the Bearcat/Fleet Invite.

Concord now has a record of 3-7, while Coker moves to 10-10, and Lander improves to 16-2

Game 1: Concord 8 – Coker 7
CU scored the final four runs of the game, including plating two in the bottom of the seventh for a walk-off victory.

After taking a 1-0 lead in the first inning, Concord surrendered four runs to Coker in the top of the second inning. In the bottom of the frame, freshman pitcher/infielder Rachael Koller and freshman second baseman/outfielder Aubrey Matice were able to reach base and come around to score. Freshman third baseman Kylee Stacy singled and scored on a sacrifice fly from senior catcher/utility player Mikayah Pulliam to tie the game 4-4.

Coker responded with three runs in the fifth.

Senior pitcher/outfielder Laura Thompson led off the bottom of the fifth with a single, then stole second. A batter later, Thompson managed to advance to third. Freshman first baseman/outfielder Kassidy Garvey singled to right field to bring in Thompson to make the score 7-6.
Concord continued to chip away in the sixth, starting with a double from Stacy to the right center field gap. Stacy came around to score to put the Mountain Lions within one going into the seventh inning.

Freshman shortstop/utility player Courtney Raines led off the bottom of the inning drawing a walk. Sophomore outfielder Imani Campbell came in to pinch run for Raines. Two batters later, Koller also worked a base on balls. A series of wild pitches allowed both Campbell and Koller to score and Concord to complete the comeback.

Offensively, Stacy finished 3-for-4 with three runs scored. Thompson collected two hits. Pulliam recorded two RBI.

Koller (2-2) was credited with the win, tossing 10 strikeouts and giving up six earned runs in a complete game effort. 

Game 2: Lander 11 – Concord 5
Concord put together four runs in the third inning, however the 9-1 Lander lead was too great to overcome.

Down eight runs in the top of the third inning, freshman shortstop/second baseman Kayla McCraw reached first base on a catcher's interference call. Matice followed McCraw's at-bat by legging out an infield single. Stacy extended her nine-game hit streak, roping a single into center field that scored McCraw. Thompson's sacrifice fly scored Matice to cut the deficit to 9-3. The next batter, Pulliam, cleared the bases with a two-run home run over the left center field fence.

The four-run deficit was the closest CU came to tying the game, as Lander scored two runs in the bottom of the fifth to push their lead to 11-5.

At the plate, Pulliam and Koller each had a home run in the game.

Senior pitcher Tori Hanes was tagged with the loss, giving up six runs (one earned) and striking out one batter.

CU travels to Bristol, Tennessee Wednesday to play a doubleheader against King. First pitch is scheduled for 1:00 p.m.