(Brighton, MI) Concordia Softball opened up their season with a doubleheader against Spring Arbor up at the Legacy Center. The Cardinals and Cougars were close for the first 7 innings of game one, until Spring Arbor broke away in extra innings to win 8-3. In the second game, the Cardinals opened up the game with a 4-0 lead before Spring Arbor tied it back up at 4-4 late in the game. Faith Cramton hit a walk off single to split the series and make the Cardinals 1-1 on the young season.
Game 1: Concordia 3, Spring Arbor 8 (8 Innings)
Paige Anderson started in the pitcher's circle for Concordia and went for 7.1 innings with 5 strikeouts on the day.
Both teams got started early in the first inning as the Cougars strung together three singles to plate a pair of runs. Then in the bottom of the inning the Cardinals responded with two runs of their own when Maddy Grueter knocked a double to right center.
The Cougars were able to retake the lead in the top of the third inning with a pair of errors from Concordia giving Spring Arbor a run. Following that, both pitchers began to settle in and avoid any further damage.
The Cardinals loaded the bases in bottom of the sixth inning and were able to scrape out a run off of Madalyne Wieneke's groundout to tie the game up at 3-3. Both teams were held scoreless in the seventh inning, forcing the game into extras.
Spring Arbor scored two runs early in the top of the 8th inning when they laid down a bunt which scored a runner from third base, and then a second run on the throw. The Cardinals were forced to make a change in the pitching circle after Paige Anderson eclipsed 140 throws, with Hannah Duchene coming in to close the game out. Duchene inherited two runners, but then walked back-to-back batters giving Spring Arbor another run. A single and another walk made it 8-3 where the game would finish.
Game 2: Concordia 5, Spring Arbor 4
Elyse Brittain started the second game for Concordia, and kicked off the first inning with three straight outs, including a pair of strikeouts.
The Cardinals then took the lead in the bottom of the inning starting with a 2 RBI single from Maddy Grueter, and then Katie Tobias baited a throw to third base, leading to an error which she scored off of. Madalyne Wieneke then brought home Grueter to make it a four-score advantage.
The Cardinals continued to keep the Cougars at bay with another Brittain strikeout and a diving catch from Summer Brady in centerfield in the second inning. In the third inning, it was a diving stop and throw from Payton Lewis that continued to keep Spring Arbor scoreless.
It wasn't until the top of the sixth inning that the Cougars were able to get a run on the board with back-to-back doubles to get their first run of the game. They then tacked on another lead with a sharply hit ball up the leftfield line to make it 4-2, Cardinals.
The Cougars added on another run in the top of the seventh inning off of a ground rule double, which led to a pitching change for Concordia as Kendall Kahl came in to get the final two outs. Spring Arbor was able to plate another run on a groundout to tie the game up at 4-4.
The Cardinals started off the bottom of the seventh with Summer Brady getting on board after being hit by a pitch. It was then Faith Cramton who hit the walk off single into left field to score Brady and win the game.
The Cardinals will next be in action when they head to Arizona for their spring break games. They will start with a game against St. Francis (IL) on March 2nd in Tucson.
