AUSTIN, Texas – Bailey Tisdale and Chaynau Johnson turned in a pair of dominant performances in the circles, lifting the Concordia Texas softball team to a doubleheader sweep of Southwestern on Tuesday.
 
Tisdale began the day with a one-run gem in game one, striking out eight along the way to a 2-1 Tornados' victory, and Johnson provided a complete-game shutout with three strikeouts, earning the win in an 8-0 landslide victory.
 
After sweeping the doubleheader, Concordia Texas pushed their winning streak to six straight, now boasting a 6-2 record overall.
 
The opening game was a tightly contested pitchers' duel, and Ashley Hallmark and Amber Hatfield drove in the only two runs necessary for the win.
 
After three and a half scoreless innings, the Tornados put the first run on the board. Hallmark reached on a throwing error and stole second and third, setting up an RBI double from Hatfield. Heading into the fifth inning, Concordia Texas took a 1-0 lead.
 
Southwestern answered in the top of the sixth, stringing together a single and an RBI double to tie the game at 1-1 with no outs. The Pirates loaded the bases, but Tisdale found a way to limit the damage as she struck out three straight batters, preserving the tie and passing the torch back to the CTX hitters.  
 
In the bottom half of the sixth, Emily Schmuck led off with an infield single before she stole second and advanced to third on an error, and Hallmark provided the sacrifice fly and a game-winning RBI.
 
Tisdale returned to the circle with a 2-1 lead in the seventh, working around a hit and an error to close the door. The junior hurler punched out the final batter, sealing the 2-1 victory.
 
In addition to a shutout performance from Johnson, the Tornados' offense came alive in the nightcap, providing eight runs on ten hits and cruising to a lopsided 8-0 victory.
 
In the first inning, Johnson retired the side in order, and the CTX bats provided three runs of early support. Myranda Billman worked a lead-off walk and Cristina Ayala followed with a single through the left side, setting the table for a bases-clearing double from Erica Riley. After advancing to third on a wild pitch, Riley crossed home thanks to a sacrifice fly from Hallmark, pushing the Tornados' lead to 3-0 after one.
 
Concordia Texas was on the board again in the second, beginning with back-to-back singles from Kylie Pavlicek and Amaya Guerrero. Kaelyn Cash executed a sacrifice bunt, putting runners on second and third for a two-RBI single from Billman. Heading into the third, CTX led 5-0.
 
The Tornados struck again in the third, putting a pair of runners on base as Schmuck worked a walk and Guerrero poked a single through the infield. Cash came to the plate next and capitalized, driving in a run on an RBI single, and Guerrero scored on a Pirates' error. After just three innings, Concordia Texas took a commanding 7-0 lead.
 
After a few quiet innings, the Tornados walked off the game in the sixth inning after Hallmark turned a single into four bases, stealing second, third, and lastly home, taking advantage of a throw behind her and scampering home. Employing the run rule, CTX won 8-0 in the bottom of the sixth.
 
Riding a five-game winning streak, the Tornados will return to American Southwest Conference play this weekend. Concordia Texas will travel to Alpine, Texas for a three-game set with Sul Ross State, beginning with a doubleheader on Friday with the first game set for 4 p.m.