BUCKHANNON, W.Va. – The Concord University softball team secured a spot in the Mountain East Conference Tournament as it went 1-1 in a doubleheader at West Virginia Wesleyan, dropping the first game 4-2 before taking the second game 5-3, Thursday afternoon at Culpepper Field.
CU (24-24, 13-15 MEC) locked up an MEC Tournament by virtue of Thursday's split and Davis & Elkins getting swept by Glenville State.
Game 1: West Virginia Wesleyan 4 – Concord 2
A two-run bottom of the fifth inning by the Bobcats (17-31, 9-19 MEC) was the difference in the game.
Trailing 1-0, Concord tied the game in the top of fifth inning. Sophomore pitcher/outfielder
Reghan Hintz singled to lead off the inning. Then, senior outfielder
Morgan Gleason, who was pinch running, for Hintz stole second, got to third on a groundout and scored on a WVWC error.
However, the tie would not last long as Wesleyan scored two runs with two outs in the bottom of the fifth.
The Mountain Lions got a run back in the top of the sixth on an RBI single by freshman catcher/infielder
Hannah Niten that brought in sophomore utility
Kristy McCord. WVWC answered with a solo home in the bottom of the sixth.
CU was retired in order in the top of the seventh.
Hintz (8-14) tossed six innings as she struck out seven batters. She moved into second place on the single-season strikeout list at Concord with 140 for the spring.
Niten was 2-for-3 with an RBI. McCord reached base twice with a single and a walk.
Game 2: Concord 5 – West Virginia Wesleyan 3
Concord scored at least one run in each of its first four at-bats, and then hung on for a two-run win.
Junior infielder
Kendall Morgan wasted no time giving CU an early lead as she drove out her second home run of the year to lead off the game.
Wesleyan was able to tie the game in the bottom of the first on a Concord error, but the Mountain Lions had an immediate response on an RBI single by Hintz in the second inning that brought in senior catcher
Kayla Sholter who had doubled with one out in the frame.
The lead doubled to 3-1 in the third inning as senior pitcher/infielder
Madison Hollis hit her team-best ninth home run of the year, a solo shot.
Up two runs, CU gained some breathing room in the top of the fourth. After a leadoff walk, senior outfielder
Alina Giles came around to touch home on a two-out, run-scoring single by Morgan. The inning was extended when Morgan stolen second and then scored on an RBI base hit by senior infielder
Lacie Lewis.
West Virginia Wesleyan plated two runs in the bottom of the seventh, and brought the tying run to bat, but Hollis got a groundout to end the game.
Hollis (15-8) allowed two earned runs in her complete-game effort in the circle. She struck out four batters.
Morgan was responsible for three of the seven hits for the Concord hits. She scored twice and recorded two RBI. Lewis bagged her 197
th career hit in the contest to go with an RBI. Hintz was 1-for-2 with an RBI.
CU wraps up the regular season 2:00 p.m. Friday at Davis & Elkins.
