(Ann Arbor, MI) - The Concordia Cardinals softball team remained home on Sunday afternoon as they celebrated senior day for four Cardinal players as they took on the Rochester Warriors in a Wolverine-Hoosier Athletic Conference (WHAC) matchup. The four Cardinals who were honored were Kate Elias, Koryn Playford, Dee Campbell, and Lauren Martin.
The Cardinals entered the day at 32-14 overall and 12-6 in WHAC play. The Warriors came into the doubleheader at 2-22 overall and 0-18 in WHAC play.
GAME 1 - CONCORDIA 12, ROCHESTER 3 - 5 INNINGS
Paige Anderson would take the mound for the first game of the day as she would go three innings and earn the win. She would let four runners on base with three hits and saw two baserunners cross the plate. Anderson also struck out four batters.
The Warriors jumped on Anderson right away at the top of the first after back-to-back singles and both scored on a double to the right-center field gap. The Cardinals were unable to score in the first.
Eight runs would come across the plate in the bottom of the second for the Cardinals as they would take and hold the lead for the rest of the first game. A Katie Tobias single would start the inning as Elyse Brittain scored her on a single herself. Three straight RBI hits from Lauren Martin, Sarah Tyrell, and Payton Lewis would make it 4-2. After a Koryn Playford single, Shannon McAlinden would hit her first home run of the day for a 7-2 lead. The final run of the inning would come off of the bat of Brittain again who singled home Dee Campbell.
The third inning would see the final four Cardinal runs come across the plate as Lewis doubled home Tyrell, Playford doubled home Lewis and McAlinden homered for the second time in the game.
The final run of the game came off a Warriors home run to center field off new CUAA pitcher Cassidy Kane. Kane would lock in following that though as she would not allow another baserunner and struck out three batters.
GAME 2 - CONCORDIA 8, ROCHESTER 0 - 5 INNINGS
Elyse Brittain got the starting nod for the second game of the series. She allowed one hit while striking out two batters.
The first three innings saw Cardinals grab runs in each with two in the first and three in the second and third. The first inning saw runs score when Koryn Playford came across on a wild pitch. Shannon McAlinden would follow up with her third home run of the day to left center field.
The second-inning runs came on a Payton Lewis double to score Maddy Grueter, Playford grounding out and Bella Lee crossing the plate. And then Brittain singled for her third RBI hit of the day.
The third inning saw Lewis singling home Greuter and Sarah Tyrell. The final CUAA run would come when Playford singled to left field and the fielder misplayed the ball while Lewis came into score.
Brittain would allow the first baserunner of the day in the fourth inning. She would be replaced by Kendall Kahl in the fifth innings. Kahl allowed one hit in her sole inning.
TOP PERFORMERS
Four batters grabbed four hits throughout the two games as Shannon McAlinden, Koryn Playford, Elyse Brittain, and Payton Lewis all tallied four hits. McAlinde recorded six RBIs and Lewis was right behind at five. McAlinden also tallied three home runs on the day, being a grand slam shy of the home run cycle on the day.
Paige Anderson and Brittain both recorded a win in the games. Brittain allowed one hit across four innings while not allowing a run. Anderson and Cassidy Kane led the day in strikeouts with four and three combined.
UP NEXT
The Cardinals would close out their home regular season schedule, tomorrow April 24, as they take on the Golden Eagles from Cornerstone tomorrow in a rescheduled game from yesterday. The doubleheader will start at 3:30 PM.
