ATHENS, W.Va. – Playing under the CU Softball Field lights for the first time this season, the Concord University softball team completed a sweep of Wheeling, 7-1, 6-5, Friday night in Mountain East Conference action.
Concord improves to 13-24 this season and 4-12 in the MEC. Wheeling has the same MEC record to go with a 6-28 overall mark.
Game 1: Concord 7 – Wheeling 1
The Mountain Lions used two big innings—the first and fourth—as they backed up a strong pitching performance from junior pitcher
Nancy-Jo Roberts.
Concord jumped on the Cardinals with three runs in the first inning. A leadoff walk and a one-out base on balls paved the way for sophomore pitcher/outfielder
Rachael Koller to get
CU on the board. She sent a base hit to left center field that was misplayed and allowed both sophomore utility
Kylee Stacy and graduate infielder
Sarah Thompson to score.
Koller came around to score later in the inning.
Koller was in the middle of a four-run fourth inning. After two more walks issued by Wheeling pitching, to Stay and Thompson, Koller came up to bat with the bases loaded. This time the Columbus, Ohio native dropped a hit down the right field line that couldn't be caught by the Cardinals' right fielder on a sliding attempt. Koller hustled around the bases for an inside-the-park grand slam.
The seven runs were more than enough for Roberts (7-12) who twirled her 14
th complete game of the season. Â She retired 11 straight Cardinals between the third and sixth innings. Overall, she gave up just one run on five hits and struck out six.
Koller and freshman infielder
Lacie Lewis both had two hits in the game. Koller became the first CU player with five RBI in a game since Thompson at Davis & Elkins in March 2021.
Stacy scored both times she reached base.
Game 2: Concord 6 – Wheeling 5
Concord came from behind in game two thanks to a three-run sixth inning to secure the sweep.
Down 5-3, Concord was sparked in the sixth inning as three of the first batters reached base, including singles from freshman catcher/outfielder
Morgan Gleason and Stacy. Gleason came around to score on a wild pitch, leaving two on and out for Lewis to came up and bang a single into left field to tie the game.
A walk to Thompson loaded the bases with just one out. Wheeling reliever Randi Holder got a strikeout for the second out, but was unable to retire sophomore infielder
Courtney Raines who worked a 3-2 walk after falling behind 1-2 in the count. The base on balls allowed Stacy to cross home for the decisive run in the game.
The Mountain Lions never led until the bottom of the sixth, though, it briefly tied the game at 1-1 in the third.
After a two-out RBI double by Lewis evened the game in the third, Wheeling responded with two runs in the top of the fourth. CU got within 3-2 in the fourth on a bases-loaded walk to senior catcher/outfielder
Jolie Privett, and 4-3 in the fifth on back-to-back doubles by Lewis and Thompson to lead off the inning.
Sophomore pitcher
Caitlyn Bauer tossed six innings as she struck out eight, and went over 200 career strikeouts. Of the five runs, she allowed only two were earned. Koller came on to earn the save with a scoreless seventh as she struck out two batters.
Lewis had her second career four-hit game. She collected two doubles and two singles to go with two RBI. Privett reached base three times, a hit and two walks, and scored twice.
Concord is right back in action 12:00 p.m. Saturday, hosting West Liberty.
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