GAME ONE BOX SCORE

GAME TWO BOX SCORE

Round Rock, Texas – Erin Duhon clubbed her first career home run in the opener and Meghan Ferrell drove in the game-winning run in the sixth inning of the nightcap to propel the Concordia University Texas softball team to a doubleheader sweep of Southwestern on Tuesday, March 8 at Old Settler's Park in Round Rock. The Tornados, who had to come from behind in each game, won the opener, 3-1, before taking the nightcap by a 3-2 decision to extend their winning streak to four straight games.

Taylor Turpin, who leads Southwestern in stolen bases, found a hole in short left field and used her blazing speed to slide in for a double on the first play of the opening game. After two batters walked to load the bases, Kaitlin Pavlicek singled through the left side to plate Turpin for the game's first run. The visitors, however, ended up leaving three runners on base. Jessica Rattan was able to gun down Irvin at home on a force play for the second out and Kat Moreno induced a fly ball that was caught by Lauren Vansickle in left.

Concordia, which has come from behind to win six of its nine games, rallied and got all the insurance they needed in the bottom of the third. Batting with two outs and runners at first and second, Duhon belted her first-ever home run over the fence in left to give the Tornados a 3-1 lead. The Tornados only yielded one hit the rest of the way to hold on for the win.

Moreno picked up the victory and improved to 4-3 on the season for Concordia. She gave up three hits and only one run which was earned while striking out four. Southwestern's Lyndsy Maus suffered the defeat, dropping her record to 3-4, after yielding four hits and three runs which were earned.

Southwestern (8-8) also scored quickly in the nightcap, jumping out to a 2-0 advantage in the top of the first inning. With two runners in scoring position and two outs on the scoreboard following a Tornado infield error, Kayla Irvin blasted a single to left center which pushed across a pair of unearned runs for the reigning Southern Collegiate Athletic Conference champions.

Pirate ace Lauren Zearfoss, meanwhile, had a no-hitter going through four innings with eight strikeouts which was broken up by a Ferrell single to lead off the fifth. After Myrissa Ayala reached on a fielder's choice and advanced to second on a sacrifice bunt by Erin Fredenburg, Jordan Berry rocketed a 3-2 pitch to the gap in left center to score Ayala for the Tornados' first run with two outs.

Concordia proved once again that it never gives up and never gives in by pushing across two more runs in the sixth. Teylor Schiefelbein drew a walk to start the frame and Vansickle doubled over the outstretched arms of the Pirate third baseman to put runners in scoring position with nobody out. Zearfoss was able to sit down the next two batters, giving Ferrell the chance to provide the heroics with two outs.

A wild pitch allowed Schiefelbein to score to tie the game, and Ferrell came through with her second game-winning hit of the season against Zearfoss with a shot to left field that easily scored Vansickle for the winning run. Schiefelbein got out of a minor jam in the top of the seventh to allow the Tornados to escape with the win.

Concordia's Schiefelbein improved to 4-2 with the victory after allowing only five hits and two runs which were unearned. She also registered a career-best nine strikeouts, which nearly doubled her previous total, and issued only two walks. Southwestern's Zearfoss suffered her second loss of the season in as many tries against the Tornados and dropped to 5-3. She gave up four hits and three runs, which were all earned, and fanned nine.

Concordia (9-5), which has lost all five of its games to teams that advanced to last year's NCAA Tournament, opens up American Southwest Conference West Division Play at Schreiner with a doubleheader beginning at 5:00 p.m.
-agate-
Southwestern               100     000     0     1     3     3
Concordia                     003     000     0     3     4     1
     Southwestern: Lauren Zearfoss, Lyndsy Maus (1) and Abi O'Connor.
     Concordia: Kat Moreno and Alex Smith. 

Southwestern (8-8)     200     000     0     2     5     0
Concordia (9-5)           000     012     x      3     4     1
     Southwestern: Lauren Zearfoss and Kaylee Kucharski, Abi O'Connor (6).
     Concordia: Teylor Schiefelbein and Alex Smith.