GAME ONE BOX SCORE

GAME TWO BOX SCORE

Round Rock, Texas – Alex Smith went 3-for-4 and hit a walk-off single to lead the Concordia University Texas softball team to a 6-5 come-from behind victory over Hardin-Simmons in the opener of a twinbill on Thursday, March 31 at Old Settler's Park. The Cowgirls, who blew a five-run lead in the first game, took the nightcap by a 1-0 decision to salvage the split.

Hardin-Simmons (14-11, ASC 8-1), which was dealt its first conference loss by Concordia for the second straight year, came out of the gates with hot bats and scored all of its runs in the top of the first inning in the opener. Amy Meyer, Laura Rawlings, Blair Wallace and Taylor Namey scattered four consecutive singles and Mac Clay drew a bases-loaded walk to give the Cowgirls a 2-0 lead before an out could be recorded. After a groundout on a slow roller by Leslie Henderson forced in the third run, Kesley Codgell blasted a double to score two more before being caught in a rundown between second and third base to end the frame while trying to stretch her hit into a triple.

Facing one of its largest deficits of the season, Concordia started to chip away beginning in the bottom of the first when Jessica Rattan singled to right center, plating Lauren Vansickle. Two innings later, Erin Duhon belted a two-run single over the head of the Cowgirl shortstop to score two more runs and cut the lead to 5-3. After stranding two runners in scoring position in the fourth, the Tornados were able to tie the game at 5-all in the bottom of the fifth thanks to an RBI double by Meghan Ferrell followed by a two-out single down the line in left by Smith.

Kat Moreno, who allowed only one hit after being roughed up in the opening inning, pitched her sixth straight scoreless frame in the top of the seventh by retiring the side in order to set up the thrilling finish. After the first batter popped out, Duhon gave the Tornados life by blasting a one-out double to right center for her third hit of the game. On the next play, Meghan Ferrell was barely able to reach first base on an error committed by the shortstop to put runners at the corners. Teylor Schiefelbein was able to advance pinch runner Erin Fredenburg to second on a groundout to third, which set the stage for Smith's walk-off single up the middle that easily plated Duhon for the winning run.

Moreno earned the victory for Concordia and improved to 9-5 on the year, yielding six hits and issuing four walks while fanning two. She did not surrender a hit after the fourth inning and o, which allowed her offense to rally from five runs down. Megann Lewis, the American Southwest Conference West Division Preseason Player of the Year, went the distance as well and fell to 7-5 with the loss. The Hardin-Simmons ace allowed 13 hits and six runs, including five earned, while recording four strikeouts and not issuing a walk.

The second game featured a classic pitcher's duel between Hardin-Simmons' Sarah Shurbet and Concordia's Schiefelbein. The Cowgirls, however, were able to break through with the game's only run in the top of the second. Namey led off the inning and was able to reach first base on an illegal pitch before being sacrificed over to second by Clay. Cera Beasley was then able to reach on a costly error by the Tornado pitcher. The wild throw to first that went towards the Cowgirl dugout allowed Namey to score all the way from second base.

Concordia (20-8, ASC 11-3) did not give up and had plenty of chances to get on the scoreboard, but the team left eight runners on base over the last six innings. After two Tornados were stranded in the third and fifth frames, the team had another key opportunity to score in the sixth. Rattan led off the inning with a hard single off the wall in center and made it all the way to third base on a groundout by Duhon and a wild pitch thrown by Shurbet.

After Meghan Ferrell walked to put runners on the corners with the tying run still only 60 feet away, Schiefelbein came up and rocketed a pitch that appeared to be headed over the head of the Cowgirl first baseman and towards the line in right. Wallace, however, was able to make the catch in which she had the ball go in and out of her glove before eventually catching it for the third out on a second chance just before it hit the ground. The web gem catch kept the Cowgirls ahead by a run and allowed them to escape with the one-run victory.

Concordia's Schiefelbein, who has not allowed an earned run to score in 33 innings, suffered her first loss in her last nine decisions and fell to 10-3. She allowed four hits and one run, which was unearned, and struck out three. She issued her first walk since March 12 against Schreiner, ending a streak in which she went 29 straight innings without giving an opposing hitter a free pass to first. Schurbet improved to 5-5 by putting together her second shutout performance of the spring. She yielded five hits, recorded two strikeouts and walked two batters.

The Tornados and Cowgirls, which have had five of their last six games decided by one run, will play another doubleheader on Friday afternoon beginning at 2 p.m.
-agate-
Hardin-Simmons                                    500     000     0     5     6     2
Concordia                                                 102     020     1     6   13     0
     Hardin-Simmons: Megann Lewis and Taylor Namey.
     Concordia: Kat Moreno and Alex Smith.

Hardin-Simmons (15-11, ASC 9-1)     010     000     0     1     4     1
Concordia (20-8, ASC 11-3)                  000     000     0     0     5     2
     Hardin-Simmons: Sarah Shurbet and Taylor Namey.
     Concordia: Teylor Schiefelbein and Alex Smith.