BUCKHANNON, W.Va. – Concord (5-9, 3-3) edged the West Virginia Wesleyan (0-2) softball team in extra innings before scoring three runs in the final frame of game two to secure a pair of wins on Friday (March 26) at Culpepper Field.
Game One (Concord 2, WVWC 1)
The first game was a pitcher’s duel between Abigial O’Shields of WVWC and Laura Thompson from Concord. It was a scoreless game until the top of the sixth inning when Sarah Thompson hit a leadoff solo homer over the left field fence.
Concord took a 1-0 lead into the bottom of the seventh. With one out, Brooke Clark lifted a fly ball to left field that was deep enough to score Lauren Niglio for the tying run.
In extras it was Sarah Thompson who delivered again for the Mountain Lions in the top of the ninth inning. She poked a single into right field to bring Laura Thompson around from second base.
Cartney Schoolcraft (1-2) picked up the win going two innings in relief, but the Bobcats didn’t go down without a fight. After two quick outs in the bottom of the ninth, Kennedy Cowart drove a double into the left centerfield gap. Lauryn King singled into left to put the tying run at third and the winning run at second.
Destiny Alvarado popped out as the Mountain Lions clung onto the 2-1 victory. O’Shields (0-1) went the distance allowing two runs over nine innings with five strikeouts. King finished 2-for-3 at the plate with a pair of walks.
Game Two (Concord 7, WVWC 4)
The Mountain Lions controlled an early 1-0 after one inning in game two. Kelley Bourne tied things up with a solo shot down the left field line in the bottom of the second.
Wesleyan wasn’t done yet in the second frame. Grace Smith and Cowart contributed back-to-back RBI singles as the Bobcats led 3-1 after two innings.
It didn’t take long for Concord to answer in the top half of the third as Jenna Witt hit a game-tying 2-run homer over the fence in center.
The Bobcats took the lead right back (4-3) in the bottom of the third as Bella Posey placed a single down the left field line to score Alvarado.
The back-and-forth battle continued in the top of the fifth when Darby Fitzpatrick delivered a game-tying triple for the Mountain Lions.
Concord loaded up the bases in the top of the seventh against Paige Maltby (0-1). Dani Bloomingdale grounded the ball back to Maltby, but a throwing error to first allowed the go-ahead run to score and kept the inning alive. Kaitlyn Stewart punched a 2-run single to right field as the Mountain Lions escaped in a 7-4 decision.
Ciana Bowen got a no-decision as she allowed four earned runs over five innings with a strikeout in a starting role.
Smith (3-for-4), Cowart (2-for-3) and Posey (2-for-3) all registered multi-hit games with an RBI.
Photos from the match by My Buckhannon’s Brian Bergstrom:
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