WINTER HAVEN, Fla. – The Concord University softball team went 1-1 on the first day of The Spring Games with a dramatic 6-5 walk-off victory over Ashland and a 7-0 loss to Southwest Minnesota State.
Concord is now 8-4 in 2024.
Game 1: Concord 6 – Ashland 5
Concord rallied from a 5-2 deficit with four runs over its final two at-bats, including the game-winning run scoring an error in the seventh.
Trailing by three entering the bottom of the sixth, back-to-back singles from junior utility
Kylee Stacy and junior infielder
Courtney Raines sparked the rally. Sophomore infielder
Lacie Lewis plated Stacy with a double before she and Raines scored on a two-RBI single from sophomore pitcher/infielder
Madison Hollis to tie the game.
CU had to settle for the 5-5 deadlock entering the seventh as the next three batters were retired in order.
Freshman pitcher
Josi Ervin worked out of a jam in the top of the seventh after a single and a walk to begin the inning, setting the stage for CU's rally in the bottom half.
Sophomore infielder
Morgan Cline led off the inning with a double before being pinch ran for by senior outfielder
Imani Campbell. A sacrifice bunt advanced to Campbell to third, but an infield pop up pushed the game to the brink of extra innings.
However, an error by the Ashland third baseman allowed Campbell to score for the walk-off win.
Concord went ahead 2-1 in the bottom of the second on a two-run knock by Cline, but watched Ashland score four unanswered runs.
Cline was the only player with two or more hits in the game as she went 2-for-3 with two RBI. Hollis was 1-for-3 with two RBI as well.
Ervin (2-0) picked up the win in relief with three innings of work, allowing one run on four hits and striking out two. Senior pitcher
Nancy-Jo Roberts allowed four runs over four innings.
Game 2: Southwest Minnesota State 7 – Concord 0
The Concord bats were cooled off in the day's second game by SMSU's starting pitcher Morgyn Otte.
The Mustangs plated five of their seven runs in the first two innings to jump ahead of CU early.
The Mountain Lions did pose a threat in the fifth inning as the first two batters reached on a Southwest Minnesota State error and a walk issued to sophomore catcher/outfielder
Kayla Sholter. The rally was quickly put out by Otte.
Sholter had two of the four hits as she went 2-for-2 with a walk in the contest.
Hollis (4-2) gave up five runs in two innings as the pitcher of record.
Concord's games on Tuesday at The Spring Games will be against Clarion (9:00 a.m.) and Edinboro (11:15 a.m).
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