WHEELING, W.Va. – The Concord University softball team went 1-1 against Wheeling Saturday evening in a Mountain East Conference doubleheader at the JB Chambers I-470 Complex, winning 7-4 before dropping the second game, 2-1, in nine innings.

Game 1: Concord 7 – Wheeling 4
CU (18-16, 8-8 MEC) ran out to a 5-1 lead after three innings and was never threatened in the opener.

Freshman catcher/infielder Hannah Niten crushed her fourth home run of the season in the top of the first as her homer also scored sophomore utility Kristy McCord.
Wheeling (8-28, 3-11 MEC) answered with a sacrifice fly in the bottom of the first inning, but Concord went right back to work in the top of the third.

A one-out walk to junior infielder Kendall Morgan was followed by a double to center field by McCord to set the stage for senior pitcher/infielder Madison Hollis to hit her sixth home run of the season to take the lead to 5-1.

The lead reached six runs, 7-1, in the fourth. Two of the first three batters reached base to start the inning as senior outfielder Alina Giles drew a walk and junior pitcher Josi Ervin poked a single to center field to put runners on the corners. Then, the pair executed a double steal to bring in the game's sixth run. Ervin scored later in the inning on an infield single by Morgan.

The seven runs were more than enough for Hollis in the circle. She allowed a second run in the bottom of the fifth, and the Cardinals got within 7-4 in the seventh, but Hollis got back-to-back groundouts to lock up the win for CU.

Ervin, senior infielder Lacie Lewis, McCord and Niten all had two hits. Niten notched two RBI and McCord scored twice. Hollis picked up three RBI on her team-best sixth home run.

In the circle, Hollis improved to 11-6 as she allowed four runs and matched her career high with seven strikeouts.

Game 2: Wheeling 2 – Concord 1 (Nine Innings)
The nightcap turned into a pitcher's duel between sophomore/pitcher Reghan Hintz and Wheeling's Ryleigh Peters.

Hintz started her evening by striking out six of the first 12 batters she faced as the game remained scoreless after three innings. She kept Wheeling off the scoreboard in the fifth inning despite a leadoff single and a one-out double as she induced two infield pop-ups to escape trouble.

CU's offense was first to score as it broke through in the top of the sixth. Hollis singled to start the inning before the pinch runner for Hollis, junior catcher/outfielder Mikayla Hose, moved to second on an error. Two batters later, Lewis brought in Hose on an RBI single to left field.

The lead did not hold up long as Wheeling led off the bottom half with a home run.

Morgan doubled with one out in the seventh, but was left stranded. And the Mountain Lions pushed the go-ahead to second base with one out in the top of the ninth, but could not get the run across.

Wheeling doubled home the winning run in the bottom of the ninth.

Lewis was 3-for-4 in game two. Hintz and Morgan each collected two hits.

Hintz (6-10) rolled up nine strikeouts in 8.1 innings. She allowed two runs on eight hits.

The Mountain Lions visit West Liberty 12:00 p.m. Sunday to wrap up an eight-game road trip.