(Brighton, MI) - The Concordia Cardinals Softball team returned to Michigan for a set of games against Goshen, Indiana South Bend, and Huntington. The Cardinals entered the game with a 2-4 record following the NAIA Leadoff Tournament last weekend in Illinois. All three opponents today will open up their season today.
GAME 1 - CONCORDIA 8, GOSHEN 0 - 5 INNINGS
Paige Anderson would get the start in the first game of the day for the Cardinals. After a quick 1-2-3 top of the first. Shannon McAlinden would grab the first hit for CUAA with a bunt single. Following a stolen base Katie Tobias would walk, and both batters would advance on a wild pitch, as the Cards would threaten but not be able to score.
The second inning saw the Cardinals get on the board this time around. With two outs Sarah Tyrrell and Bella Lee would grab back-to-back infield singles. Payton Lewis would come up to bat and lace a triple into the right-center field gap to unload the bases for the 2-0 lead.
Scoring would be slim until the Cards came up to bat in the bottom of the fourth. Jada Stephenson started the inning off with a walk. Tyrrell was next and grabbed her second single of the game. Lee came up next and drove in both Stephenson and Tyrrell with a double to the right-center gap. With runners on second and third McAlinden laced a triple into the same gap Lewis did earlier in the game. Tobias doubled to the same area to score McAlinden, while Madison Poe singled to bring across the 7th run of the game.
Needing only one run in the fifth, Tyrrell would once again single, for her third hit and steal second base. Lewis singled to shortstop to bring in the final run of the game.
Paige Anderson would start and end the game by pitching a complete game. Anderson would only give up 1 hit and 1 walk on her way to 5 strikeouts.
GAME 2 - CONCORDIA 6, INDIANA SOUTH BEND 4
The Cardinals hot hitting continued heading into the second game as they would get on the board twice in the first inning. Payton Lewis opened the game with a walk and Shannon McAlinden hit her second triple of the game into the right center gap. Katie Tobias grabbed another hit to bring in McAlinden.
The Cardinals grabbed one more run in the bottom of the second with a bunt single that wound up scoring Sarah Tyrrell. Bats on both sides went cool down until the fourth inning when the Titans would plate three runs. Two singles and a throwing error would aid South Bend in the scoring category.
Dee Campbell and Bella Lee would get into the scoring in the second game as Campbell singled home McAlinden while Lee walked with the bases loaded to score Tobias.
The Cardinals would add onto their lead with a run in the sixth on a ground out to second base. The final run of the game came in the top of the seventh with the Titans scoring on an infield single.
Three pitchers combined to pitch for the Cardinals as Kendall Kahl got the start for the Cardinals. She would go three-plus innings allowing 4 hits, 1 earned run with 2 strikeouts. Cassidy Kane came into pitch next with the game tied, she would go onto earn the win, giving up 2 hits while striking out 2. Paige Anderson once again came into pitch the final five outs for the Cardinals. Allowing three hits, 1 run and having 1 strikeout, Anderson would earn her second save of the season.
GAME 3 - CONCORDIA 0, HUNTINGTON 0 - CANCELLED
TOP PERFORMERS
Paige Anderson pitched 6.1 innings over two games with a 1-0 record and a save. She allowed four hits with six strikeouts. Cassidy Kane allowed 2 hits over 2.1 innings, while not letting a run cross the plate with 2 strikeouts.
Shannon McAlinden would go 5-7 over the two games with 2 triples and 3 RBIs. Payton Lewis and Sarah Tyrrell would both grab 4 hits on the day, as Lewis hit 2 doubles and 1 triple.
UP NEXT
The Cardinals will travel down to Alice Lloyd for a 4-game series next weekend on Saturday and Sunday February 18 and 19.
