GEORGETOWN, Texas – The Concordia University Texas softball team scored three unanswered runs, including the go-ahead score in the ninth inning, and the Tornados earned a 6-5 victory to salvage a doubleheader with Southwestern on Wednesday at Taylor-Sanders Field. The Pirates claimed the opening game, 8-0, in five innings.
Jessica Parish tallied three hits, including a solo homer in the second game, and three RBIs to pace Concordia Texas (5-3) at the plate.
Zalysa Perez pitched all nine innings of the nightcap to improve to 3-1 on the season.
The Tornados will return to action on Friday, Feb. 21, in an American Southwest Conference doubleheader against Louisiana College. First pitch is scheduled for 4 p.m. at Cedar Park High School.
GAME ONE
Nicole Gibbs hurled a two-hit shutout and led Southwestern (2-6) to an 8-0 victory in five innings.
Gibbs gave up two singles in the first two panels, but did not give up another hit the rest of the way.
The Pirates scored at least one run in each of their four at-bats, including a pair of three-run innings to open the contest. Tessa Galloway racked up three hits, while Kayla Irvin was 2-for-3 with three RBIs to lead the hosts. Christina Crandall also added a pair of knocks, including a solo home run.
Parish and Noey Ruiz each picked up singles for CTX.
Sydney Coffey (1-1) was handed the loss for the Tornados, as the right-hander yielded three runs on five hits in an inning of work.
GAME TWO
Concordia rallied from a 5-3 deficit and tied the game in the seventh to push the contest to extra innings.
Parish trimmed the deficit to one with her first homer of the campaign in the sixth. A frame later, Cynthia Arriaga clubbed a leadoff double to right field and was driven home by Katie Carrizales, who also doubled.
After each team came up scoreless in the eighth, Alyssa Serna, who was placed at second base due to international tiebreaker rules, moved up 60 feet on a wild pitch. Coffey then grounded out to the second baseman, which allowed Serna to cross the plate with the winning run.
The Tornados tallied 15 hits, including six for extra bases, in the win. Jenna Franz led the way with a 3-for-4 performance, while Parish was 2-for-3 wtih a round-tripper and three RBIs.
Perez (3-1) scattered 13 hits and allowed five runs in the complete-game effort. She also walked four and struck out a pair.
Gibbs (2-5) suffered the loss after giving up four runs (three earned) on 11 hits in 7.2 stanzas of relief.
