GAME ONE BOX SCORE

GAME TWO BOX SCORE

PHOTO GALLERY

Cedar Park, Texas – Kat Moreno hurled her second shutout of the season in the opener and Erin Duhon drove in the game-winning run on a walk-off play in the nightcap to lead the Concordia University Texas softball team to a doubleheader sweep of George Fox on Sunday, Feb. 17 at Vista Ridge High School. The Tornados took game one by a 1-0 decision before rallying to win by a 3-2 score in game two.

Concordia got the only run it needed in the bottom of the third inning of the opener. Melissa Cantu led off the frame with a triple down the line in right and came home two plays later when Katie Carrizales grounded out to the Bruin shortstop.

George Fox (3-3), which left two runners on base in the last two frames, most notably threatened to at least tie the score in the top of the seventh. Rachel Fielder got things started with a pinch-hit single up the middle before Felicia Chavez found a hole on the right side of the infield to put runners on first and second. Amanda Woods then hit a ball down the line in right that appeared destined to drop and allow at least one runner to score, but Cantu made a diving catch to allow the Tornados to hang on for the win.

Concordia's Moreno threw her second four-hit shutout in as many appearances this spring to improve her record to 2-0. She also struck out seven, which was one shy of her career high, and issued three walks. Taylor Whitmore of George Fox was charged with the loss and fell to 0-1 after allowing five hits and one run, which was earned, and striking out two over five innings of work.

The nightcap would be a back-and-forth battle with neither team leading by more than a run all the way until the very last pitch. After Kayla Anderson hit a one-out double to drive in the game's first run in the top of the first, the Tornados tied the score in the fourth when Shannon Lanford singled to right to plate Duhon.

George Fox went ahead by a single run again by scoring on a fielder's choice play in the top of the sixth, but the Tornados would once again fight their way back in the final frame against pitcher Erin Hento. Christina Smith began the bottom of the seventh by reaching on an error by the Bruin first baseman and was then sacrificed over to second to put the tying run in scoring position.

The defensive blunder would eventually prove to be costly, as Parish followed by singling in Smith and advanced to second before being replaced by Savannah Valderas. Martin then added another single to keep the inning going and set the stage for Duhon. Batting with the score tied and runners at the corners, the senior then came up in the clutch situation and hit a grounder that was fielded cleanly by the shortstop and thrown to first base for the second out. Valderas, meanwhile, took a huge gamble bu bolting for home and beat out the throw to allow the Tornados to win on a walk-off play.

Zalysa Perez, who was making her first collegiate start, earned the victory in the circle for Concordia and improved her record to 1-0. She scattered five hits, allowed two runs that were earned and recorded two strikeouts. Hento of George Fox was charged with the loss and dropped to 2-1 on the year after giving up the two runs, which were unearned, in two-thirds of an inning of work. She also surrendered two hits.

Concordia (3-1) will visit Southwestern for a doubleheader on Tuesday, Feb. 19. The first game is slated to begin at 1 p.m.
-agate-
George Fox               000     000     0    0     4     3
Concordia                 001     000     x     1     5     1
George Fox: Taylor Whitmore, Erin Hento (6) and Courtney Howard.
Concordia: Kat Moreno and Shannon Lanford.

George Fox (3-3)     100     010     0     2     5     3
Concordia (3-1)       000     100     2     3     7     0
George Fox: Rachel Fielder, Erin Hento (7) and Genetta Duncan.
Concordia: Zalysa Perez and Shannon Lanford.