CHARLESTON, W.Va. – The Concord University softball team came up short at Charleston, 5-3, 8-6, Saturday afternoon in Mountain East Conference play at the UC Softball Field.
Game 1: Charleston 5 – Concord 3
The CU (7-16, 0-4 MEC) offense watched Charleston (8-3, 2-0 MEC) jump up 4-0 after three innings but answered in the fourth. Senior infielder
Sarah Thompson started the rally with a base hit, and advanced on freshman infielder
Morgan Cline's single to right field. With two on, sophomore infielder
Courtney Raines drew a walk to load the bases. Freshman catcher
Morgan Gleason found a gap in right center for a stand-up double, clearing the bases, and getting Concord within 4-3.
Concord would go quietly in the fifth and sixth. UC added a run in the bottom of the sixth. The Mountain Lions were able to get the tying run to the plate in the top of the seventh with two outs.
Junior Pitcher
Nancy-Jo Roberts (4-9) saw the circle for the 13th time for the Mountain Lions going just one inning with one strikeout. Roberts was relieved by sophomore pitcher
Caitlyn Bauer who made her ninth appearance this year. Bauer went five innings with a line of five hits allowed, seven strikeouts, and only allowing one earned one.
Thompson, Cline, Gleason, and freshman infielder
Lacie Lewis had one hit each. Gleason had an extra base hit and three RBI.
Game 2: Charleston 8 – Concord 6
The Mountain Lions came out strong in the top of the first inning with a leadoff double by sophomore outfielder
Kylee Stacy followed by a single to right field by Lewis. Three batters later with the bases loaded, Koller came through with a two-run single into center field which scored Stacy and Lewis.
With the score still 2-0, CU added more in the top of the third. Cline and Koller each singled with one out, and was followed by freshman catcher
Lorelai Ellerby's triple to double the lead to 4-0. Ellerby would come into score later that inning on an error by Charleston making the score 5-0.
Charleston bounced back with two runs of its own in the bottom of the third, but Concord answered in the top of the fourth with a Cline single that scored Stacy. She had reached on a single and stole second earlier in the inning.
But, the Golden Eagles responded with four runs in the fifth to tie the game at 6-6, and overtook the lead in the sixth.
Koller stepped into the circle for CU in game two and went 4.2 innings. Koller was relieved in the fifth inning and finished with three strikeouts, while allowing eight hits. Bauer (0-4) came into relieve again for game two and went just 1.1 innings finished the game for the Mountain Lions.
Ellerby and Koller each had two hits and two RBI. Stacy collected two hits and scored twice, while Cline rounded out the two-hit games for the Mountain Lions. Ellerby's triple was the first of her career.
Concord plays a non-conference road doubleheader at Emory & Henry 2:00 pm Tuesday.
Â
