LOUISIANA COLLEGE BOX SCORE

TEXAS-DALLAS BOX SCORE

Farmers Branch, Texas – Erin Duhon hit a two-run double in the top of the second to help lead the Concordia University Texas softball team to a 3-2 victory over Texas-Dallas at the American Southwest Conference First Pitch Tournament on Friday, March 1 at Oran Good Park. The Tornados also dropped a 5-4 decision to 22nd-ranked Louisiana College earlier in the day.

In its later game against the Comets, Concordia broke through by scoring three times in the top of the third inning. Batting with runners at first and second, Duhon belted a two-run double to put the Tornados on the board. Shelby Wallace then followed with a two-bagger of her own to add an insurance tally.

Texas-Dallas (2-1-1), however, started to come back by scoring twice in the bottom of the third. Hitting with two runners in scoring position, Brittanie Knowles blooped a single into left to make it 3-2 in favor of the Tornados. The Comets continued to threaten to tie the score over the last four innings and had a runner on second with only one out in the bottom of the seventh, but reliever Kat Moreno induced two popouts to end the game and allow the Tornados to escape with the win.

Noey Ruiz, who entered the game in the fourth inning, picked up the victory for Concordia and improved to 1-0 on the year. She hurled three shutout frames and allowed two hits while striking out one and not issuing a walk. Moreno earned her first save by pitching a scoreless ninth. Texas-Dallas' Jeni Olbeter, who went the distance, suffered the loss and dropped to 1-1 on the year. She gave up five hits and three runs that were all earned.

Earlier in the day, Concordia took a quick 3-0 lead against the nationally-ranked Wildcats by scoring once in the first and twice in the second. Meghan Ferrell hit an RBI single to left, scoring Christina Smith, before Wallace blasted a two-run homer to give the Tornados a good cushion to work with.

Louisiana College (3-1), which extended its winning streak at the annual tournament to a league-best 36 games, started to rally in the middle innings. Courtney Ivey belted a double to left center that plated two runs in the fourth inning before Emorie Nugent scored on an RBI double in the fifth to tie the score.

Concordia went ahead 4-3 when Smith drew a bases-loaded walk in the top of the sixth, but the Wildcats were able to complete the rally they started earlier in the game by scoring once in the bottom of the sixth and then again in the seventh. Laura Gulotta-Parrish hit a sacrifice fly to right with one out to score Hanna Cobb and end the game on a walk-off play.

Nancy Bunting, who threw 1.1 shutout innings in relief of Leslie Eastham, picked up the victory for 22nd-ranked Louisiana College and improved to 1-1. She did not allow and hit and struck out one. Concordia's Sydney Coffey was credited with the setback and fell to 0-2 after surrendering four hits and two runs, which were both earned, over 1.2 frames.

Concordia (5-3) will conclude play at the ASC First Pitch Tournament tomorrow when it faces Mississippi College at 10:00 a.m. and LeTourneau at 3:00 p.m.
-agate-
Concordia                                     120     001     0     4     9     0
#22 Louisiana College (3-1)     000     211     1     5    10    0
     Concordia: Kat Moreno, Sydney Coffey (6) and Shannon Lanford.
     Louisiana College: Leslie Eastham, Nancy Bunting (6) and Courtney Ivey.

Concordia (5-3)                             003     000     0     3     5     1
Texas-Dallas (2-1-1)                    002     000     0     2     4     0
     Concordia: Zalysa Perez, Noey Ruiz (4), Kat Moreno (7) and Shannon Lanford.
     Texas-Dallas: Jeni Olbeter and Avery McHugh.