(Winter Haven, FL) The Cardinals played what ended up being the last two games of their season this Friday in sunny Florida against a pair of NCAA DII opponents in University of Sioux Falls and Minnesota State University-Moorhead. In their last set of games in 2020, the Cardinals split to finish with a 7-3 record.

Game 1 | 2:30 PM

Concordia 2 - University of Sioux Falls 7

• Melanie Richardson started in the pitcher's circle for Concordia and did well to restrain the Panthers in the first two innings. The senior only gave up one hit in those first two innings, but that hit drove in a Sioux Falls runner who had reached on a previous error.
• Concordia tied the game in the bottom of the first as Carly Pearson drove in leadoff hitter Tyffani Bryan who had stolen second earlier in the inning.
• Sioux Falls got to Richardson in the third when Sydney Nieveen crushed a homer over the left center wall and three others reached base and one scored. Peyton Grice entered the game in relief for Concordia and was able to secure two outs without any more damage for the Cards.
• It wasn't until the fifth when Lexie Swift busted the game wide open for the Cougars with a three-run no doubter.
• Concordia salvaged a run in the bottom of the seventh when Melanie Richardson scored off of a Kate Elias single, but it proved to be too little too late as Sioux Falls walked away with a five run victory.

Game 2 | 4:45 PM

Concordia 1 - Minnesota State University-Moorhead 0

• Lauren Reichel pitched a gem as she went all seven innings for the Cardinals in their last game of the season. She limited the Dragons to just two baserunners all game long in her complete game shutout.
• Offensively, Concordia was held to just six hits in the game, with no Cardinal earning more than one hit in the contest.
• In the top of the third, Natalie Shawl led off the inning with a single punched into the outfield. Tyffani Bryan laid down a sacrifice bunt to advance Shawl to second, and Shawl made it to third on a Megan Laib single. The game winning run came from excellent baserunning when Laib's pinch runner Mya Hall was caught stealing second, but not before Shawl stole home for the lone run of the game.

"Today is a tough day within all of college athletics, learning of a season cancellation," said Head Coach Hailey Cavanagh. "What I'm proud of is, through all of the adversity, our team bounced back and took care of business in Game 2. Flawless pitching and defense, coupled with Mya Hall's perfectly executed first & third was a showing of championship ball. Today though, I'm most proud of our seniors - their leadership throughout their careers is indescribable. The impact they have left on our program will be felt for many, many years."

The Cardinal senior class includes Tyffani Bryan, Carley Drzewiecki, Hannah Economou, Kassidy Grandorff, Alyssa Jabara, Mikailah Jackson, Megan Laib, Annie Leiding, Grace Majeran, Carly Pearson, Melanie Richardson, and Kendall Sampang.