Concord Opens Spring Break Trip with Wins over Ashland, Sioux Falls

CLERMONT, Fla. – The Concord University softball team swept its opening two games over Ashland and Sioux Falls at The Spring Games Friday afternoon.
 
With the victories, the Mountain Lions improve to 4-9 in the non-conference portion of their schedule.
 
Game One: Concord 11 – Ashland 10
The Eagles combined for four runs in the first three innings, but the Maroon and Gray answered with an eight-run frame in the fourth.
 
After back-to-back Ashland errors, sophomore pitcher/infielder Madison Hollis drove in a pair of runs on a single up the middle to make the score 4-2. Junior outfielder Alina Giles walked the following at-bat to load the bases with no outs. Then, freshman pitcher/outfielder Reghan Hintz poked a ball up the middle to plate two more, tying the game 4-4. Back-to-back walks from junior catcher/utility Morgan Gleason and junior catcher/utility Kayla Sholter gave CU the lead, 5-4.
 
Freshman utility Blake Jamerson reached on a fielder's choice and kept the rally alive, scoring the sixth run of the inning. The first two outs of the frame came on sacrifice flies from junior infielder Lacie Lewis and senior infielder Courtney Raines to extend the advantage to 8-4 after four.
 
Lewis added another sac fly in the sixth after a triple from Sholter to grow the lead back to four, 9-5.
 
Giles added an extra base hit of her own, smoking an RBI triple into right field and would score on a fielding error to give Concord a 11-5 edge in the top of the seventh.
 
Ashland scored five runs in the bottom of the seventh, but sophomore pitcher Josi Ervin held on for the win and improved to 2-4 in the circle this season.
 
Hollis led the way offensively with three hits and a pair of runs driven in. As a team, CU racked up four extra-base knocks including two doubles and two triples. Ervin pitched all seven innings, surrendering six earned runs and fanning four batters.
 
Game Two: Concord 11 – Sioux Falls 9
CU plated eight runs in the first two innings and never looked back to close out day one.
 
Ervin led off the game with a walk and advanced to second on a sacrifice from Hintz. Then, junior infielder Lacie Lewis clubbed a home run over the left field fence to give the Maroon and Gray a 2-0 lead with no outs.
 
In the second, sophomore infielder Kendall Morgan and Jamerson singled to put a pair of runners on base with one away. Gleason followed up Jamerson with an RBI single to extend the margin, 3-0. With two outs, Hintz and Lewis picked up back-to-back RBI singles into left field to keep the rally going, 5-0.
 
Hollis highlighted the monster inning with a bases-clearing double and gave Concord an 8-0 edge after two complete.
 
After a USF rally, CU added some late insurance runs in the sixth. Sophomore outfielder Savannah Brehm entered as a pinch runner and stole home to grow the lead back to three, 10-7. Then, freshman utility Kristy McCord scored on a wild pitch to end the sixth.
 
With the bases loaded in the top of the seventh for the Cougars, Hintz entered the game and recorded the final two outs for her first career save.
 
Lewis was a perfect 3-for-3 in the game with three runs scored and two runs batted in. Hollis had a pair of hits and three RBI. Freshman pitcher/utility Mahailey Nicholson (2-1) picked up the win in the circle after tossing 3.0 innings in relief and punching out four hitters.
 
Concord continues its stretch of games in the Sunshine State Saturday, playing Dominican at 2:00 p.m. and Edinboro at 4:30 p.m.