(Melbourne, FL) - The Concordia Cardinals softball team continued their spring break with games against the Dallas Christian Crusaders (2-18-1 overall) and the Eagles from the University of Fort Lauderdale (7-21 overall).
GAME 1 - CONCORDIA 13, DALLAS CHRISTIAN 2 - 5 INNINGS
Kiley Weiderman took the mound for the first game of the day against the Crusaders. Weiderman would proceed to throw 1.1 innings, while only allowing two hits but walking four. She also struck out two batters.
The first inning saw both teams grab runs with each scoring twice. Dallas Christian would load the bases and score both runs on a double to left. The Cardinals though tied the game as Payton Lewis and Cassidy Kane singled to start the inning. Lewis would score on a Maddy Grueter sacrifice bunt, and Katie Tobias, who reached on a fielder's choice, crossed the plate on a pass ball.
The Crusaders would score a third time in the second inning on a fielder's choice following a couple of walks. Neither team would score again until eh Cardinals five run third inning.
Lewis roped a double to right center field that would see Lauren Martin score from first. Kane sacrificed bunted Lewis home. After a Tobias single and a Grueter fielders choice, Madison Poe doubled to left center and that was followed by an Elyse Brittain fielder's choice RBI. Poe would then score on a double steal attempt.
Back-to-back innings would see the Cardinals grab five runs as they would once again in the fourth. Lewis started the inning with a single, followed by a Kane triple down the right field line. And then a Tobias single through the right side of the infield. Poe would net another RBI on a single to left center field. The Crusaders would have a pass ball that scored Grueter from third, and then Brittain reached on an error scoring Poe.
In the top of the fifth the Crusaders singled to start the inning, but would bounce back as CUAA got two quick outs. The final out of the run-rule game would come on a Crusader single and the runner on first was thrown out at third with Kane grabbing the outfield assist.
Megan Martin would pitch the final 3.2 innings and earn the win as she allowed five base runners, while earning four strikeouts.
GAME 2 - CONCORDIA 6, FORT LAUDERDALE 5 - 10 INNINGS
The game-two starter for the Cardinals saw Kendall Kahl take the mound. She wound up pitching the full 10 innings to record a complete game. She allowed 10 hits and three earned runs, while striking out seven batters along the way.
CUAA struck first in this game as they crossed the plate in the bottom of the second inning. Maddy Grueter and Dee Campbell singled to open the inning, followed by a Summer Brady sacrifice bunt, Grueter would come around and score on a single from Elyse Brittain.
The Eagles though would not go quietly as they stormed back in the fourth inning grabbing three runs. With a couple of singles as the bases were loaded. In the bottom half of the inning, an Elyse Brittain double to left center scored Campbell to make it 3-2 after four.
Inning number five saw the Cards tie the game up at 3. Cassidy Kane hit a double to left center field, Madison Poe singled to advance Kane to third. Dee Campbell brought in Kane on a ground out to second to even the game up.
The sixth inning saw the Cards threaten as they were able to get the bases loaded and one out, the Eagles were able to get out of the inning unscathed though to a pop-up and a line out.
With the game heading to extras, after neither team was able to score in the seventh, The Eagles would be able to grab a run with a single to center field that would score the ghost runner. The Cards evened it out with a run of their own as Poe singled to the outfield to drive in Kane.
The ninth inning saw UFTL grab a run on a single to right and threaten to score more as they had runners on second and third with one out but an Eagles runner was caught in a rundown and then an ensuing strikeout ended the inning. An Elyse Brittain bunt single in the bottom half of the inning was able to score Grueter as the game headed to the 10th inning.
A strong defensive inning for the Cardinals helped them to keep the game even at 5. Payton Lewis was the ghost runner in the 10th for CUAA to begin the inning. An intended sacrifice bunt from Morgan Scott ended up being the game-winner as the Eagle pitcher overthrew the second baseman, who was at first, and Lewis came around to score.
TOP PERFORMERS
Two hitters tallied five hits apiece Payton Lewis and Madison Poe netting those hits as well as a double for each. Elyse Brittain tallied a team-high 5 RBIs on the day, including three against Fort Lauderdale. Cassidy Kane was the team lead in extra-base hits with a double and a triple.
Kendall Kahl posted an ERA of 2.10 over her 10 innings of work with seven strikeouts. Megan Martin pitched a 0.00 ERA game in her 3.2 innings of work.
UP NEXT
The Cardinals head back onto the field tomorrow with two games as they take on Dallas Christian again (2 PM) followed by Florida National (4:30 PM).
