GAME ONE BOX SCORE

GAME TWO BOX SCORE

Brownwood, Texas – Erin Duhon went a combined 6-for-9 and drove in four runs to lead the Concordia University Texas softball team to a doubleheader sweep of Howard Payne on Friday, March 22 at Lady Jackets Field. The Tornados extended their winning streak to seven and also ended the day having won three American Southwest Conference games in a row with decisive 8-1 and 9-5 victories over the Yellow Jackets.

Concordia (14-6, ASC 3-3) quickly jumped ahead in the opener and led 1-0 before the Yellow Jackets had a chance to bat. Christina Smith belted a leadoff double, advanced to third on a wild pitch and scored on a sacrifice bunt by Katie Carrizales.

The Tornados padded their lead in the top of the third. Carrizales hit a two-oiut single up the middle to get things started and Erin Duhon followed with a double to the gap in left center, placing two runners in scoring position. Noey Ruiz then hit a two-run single to left to give the visitors a three-run cushion to work with.

Howard Payne (10-11, ASC 5-3) attempted to rally and got on the board in the bottom of the fifth after Concordia plated a fourth run in the top half of the same frame. After a Jessica Morales RBI double put the Yellow Jackets on the board, the host school threatened to slash the deficit by loading the bases with only one out. Kat Moreno, however, got out of the major jam by forcing Evangelina Tellez to foul out to catcher Shannon Lanford and fanning Tylene Middleton. The Tornados added four insurance runs in the top of the seventh to run away with the victory.

Moreno went the distance and picked up the win in the circle for Concordia to improve her record to 7-3 this season. She surrendered seven hits and one run, which was earned, while striking out six and walking three. Howard Payne's Haleigh Caraway was tagged with her first loss of the year and fell to 6-1 after being lit up for 11 hits and eight runs, including five earned, over seven innings of work.

In the nightcap, the Tornados scored twice in the top of the first to take a 2-0 advantage. Smith, who led off the frame with a single, scored on a Duhon single two plays later. Christina Martin then doubled the lead by singling to center field, plating Katie Carrizales. The Yellow Jackets, however, responded with two runs of their own in the bottom of the opening frame. An RBI single by Tellez knotted the score at two runs apiece.

Despite surrendering its early lead, Concordia exploded offensively in the top of the second to go ahead 6-2 and never looked back. Carrizales, Duhon, Martin and Parish all had RBI singles in the frame. The Yellow Jackets once again stormed back, which including plating three runs in the third, but the attempted rally fell just short. A sacrifice fly by Meghan Ferrell in the top of the fourth followed by a RBI singles by Alexis Lynn and Sydney Coffey in the sixth produced the final outcome.

Sydney Coffey picked up the win in relief for Concordia and improved her record to 2-2 overall and a perfect 2-0 in conference play. She allowed two hits in 4.2 shutout innings of work and has yet to allow a run to score against ASC opponents over 5.2 scoreless frames this season. Howard Payne's Baillie Trumble suffered the loss and dropped to 4-6 by giving up 10 hits and six runs, which were all earned, in just two innings of work.

Concordia and Howard Payne will conclude the four-game series tomorrow afternoon. The first game of the doubleheader is slated for noon.
-agate-
Concordia (12-6, ASC 1-3)               102     010     4     8    11   0
Howard Payne (10-9, ASC 5-1)       000     010     0     1     7     2
Concordia: Kat Moreno and Shannon Lanford.
Howard Payne: Haleigh Caraway and Amanda Cruddas.

Concordia (14-6, ASC 3-3)               240     102     0     9    17    0
Howard Payne (10-11, ASC 5-3)     203     000     0     5     8     0
Concordia: Zalysa Perez, Sydney Coffey (3) and Shannon Lanford.
Howard Payne: Baillie Trumble, Keeley Lowrance (3) and Pricilla Patino.