BUCKHANNON, W.Va. – The Concord University softball team split a road doubleheader against West Virginia Wesleyan in Mountain East Conference play at Culpepper Field Friday afternoon, losing 1-0, but bounced back with a 4-2 victory.
Concord improves to 27-23 on the year and 13-15 in the conference. WVWC is now 17-30 and 7-21 in the MEC.
Game 1: West Virginia Wesleyan 1 – Concord 0
A pitcher's dual broke out between sophomore pitcher/infielder
Madison Hollis and Wesleyan's Kendall Stoffel before the Bobcats got a run in the sixth.
The Mountain Lions pushed junior utility
Kylee Stacy into scoring position in the first inning after her leadoff single, and a two-out double in the second had junior outfielder
Kayla McCraw in scoring position.
The next scoring chance for CU came in the top of the fifth as senior outfielder
Jolie Privett walked with two outs before stealing second base. However, a groundout kept the game scoreless.
Hollis battled out of her own jam in the bottom of the fifth inning. With runners on the corners and one out, a Wesleyan base runner swiped second. But, consecutive groundouts to third base ended the threat.
Hollis and freshman infielder
Kendall Morgan singled behind each other in the top of the sixth with two outs, but the game remained scoreless.
A successful double steal attempt in the bottom of the sixth broke the stalemate.
Hollis (10-12) retired 11 of the first 12 batters she faced in the game, but was charged with the hard-luck loss. She scattered six hits and issued one walk
No Concord batter had a multi-hit game, and McCraw's double was the lone extra-base hit.
Game 2: Concord 4 – West Virginia Wesleyan 2
After being stymied in game one, Concord got to work quickly in game two as it plated all four runs in the top of the first inning.
Three straight singles loaded the bases to start the game. After the Bobcats got the first out of the inning on a fielder's choice, a costly error allowed Morgan to collect two RBI and get Concord a 2-0 edge.
An RBI groundout brought in Hollis, and McCraw capped the scoring in the inning with a run-scoring hit that plated Morgan.
West Virginia Wesleyan answered with a run in the bottom of the first, but freshman pitcher
Josi Ervin settled in as she did not allow another hit until the bottom of the fourth.
A two-out RBI single by the Bobcats in the sixth sliced the lead to 4-2. And Wesleyan was able to get the tying run on base in the bottom of the seventh, but a flyout to left field secured the win.
Ervin (4-4) scattered eight hits and two earned runs as she fanned five WVWC hitters. She tossed a complete game on 123 pitches.
Junior infielder
Courtney Raines paced the offense by going 3-for-4 with a run scored. Morgan, redshirt freshman outfielder
Sophia Conger and McCraw were responsible for RBI in the contest.
CU wraps up the regular season 12:00 p.m. Saturday at Davis & Elkins.
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