ATHENS, W.Va. – The Concord University softball team opened up the home portion of its schedules with wins of 8-5 and 11-0 over Virginia Union Sunday afternoon at the CU Softball Field in non-conference action.
The Mountain Lions improve to 5-1 on the season while Virginia Union drops to 0-8.
Game 1: Concord 8 – Virginia Union 5
After falling behind 3-0 after the top of the first inning, Concord outscored the Panthers 8-2 the rest of the way to earn a game one victory.
VUU jumped out 3-0 in the top of the first as it only needed two hits to get the early lead. However, a throwing error in the bottom of the first inning brought junior infielder
Kylee Stacy in to get the scoring started for CU.
A two-run double from sophomore infielder
Morgan Cline tied the game before consecutive run-scoring single from junior first baseman
Kassidy Garvey and sophomore catcher/utility
Morgan Gleason gave the Mountain Lions a lead they would not relinquish.
Another Virginia Union error in the second allowed Concord to double its lead to 6-3.
Holding the three-run edge, CU plated a pair of runs in the fourth inning. A double steal of second and third by Stacy and junior infielder
Courtney Raines brought home Stacy after the throw to third skipped into left field. Later in the inning, Raines scored on a fielder's choice.
Virginia Union struck back with a pair of run-scoring doubles in the fifth inning to get within 8-5. But, freshman pitcher/outfielder
Josi Ervin ended the threat with a strikeout. She allowed just one base runner of the final two innings.
Ervin (1-0) surrendered three earned runs while striking out 11 in the game.
Raines and Stacy paced the Mountain Lions' offense with seven combined hits. Stacy was 4-for-4, all singles, with two runs scored. Raines was 3-for-4 with three runs scored. Cline tallied three RBI.
Game 2: Concord 11 – Virginia Union 0
The nightcap was all Mountain Lions as they only needed four at-bats to score 11 runs, and five innings complete the sweep of Virginia Union.
The scoring was started in game two by sophomore catcher/utility
Kayla Sholter who shot a two-out single down the right field line in the second inning, setting the stage for bigger innings for the CU bats.
Four of the first five batters of the third inning reached for the Mountain Lions with Raines touching home on an error. With the bases loaded and two outs, Gleason ripped a ground rule double down the left field to score two, extending the lead to 4-0.
Raines had her own double to the right center field gap in the fourth that plated Stacy. And three batters later, a single by freshman infielder
Kendall Morgan scored two runs. Up 7-0, Concord wasn't done in the inning.
Two more runs scored on a VUU error. A single into center field by redshirt freshman outfielder
Sophia Conger extended the lead to 10-0 before Raines drew a bases-loaded walk for the final run in the seven-run fourth.
Senior pitcher
Nancy-Jo Roberts (2-1) tossed five shutout innings as she gave up three hits and walked two. She struck out a career-best nine batters.
Raines and Stacy were both 2-for-3 in the nightcap with Raines scoring twice and recording two RBI. Sophomore pitcher/infielder
Madison Hollis was on base three times, including a double. Gleason was 1-for-2 with a double and two RBI.
The Mountain Lions begin a lengthy road trip 1:00 p.m. Friday at Belmont Abbey.
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