The Rundown: The Concordia Eagles opened 2016 and the NCAA DII era with two wins over CSU San Marcos at home on Friday, 6-0, 5-4.

GAME ONE

By the Numbers:  Hannah Howell had two home runs and three RBI, and Charlotte Foster and Jasmin Dresser also went deep.  Grayson Harvey started, won, and went five innings allowing two hits.  BethAnn McCann allowed two hits over two.

The Difference:  The Eagles pitching blanked the Cougars.

Critical Plays:  Foster, Dresser, and Howell all hit solo shots in the first and CUI led 4-0 early.  Harvey worked around two base runners in the third.  Howell hit another homer in the third, this time a two-run shot for the 6-0 lead. 

GAME TWO

By the Numbers:  Foster went deep again and so did Nicole Chavez.  Ryann Ferguson, Amy Eilefson, and Megan Feuerstein all doubled, and Chavez was three-for-three in the game.  Susana Gurney earned the win allowing seven hits through six innings.  BethAnn McCann came in late to earn the save.

The Difference:  BethAnn McCann forced a double play to get out of the jam in the seventh and preserve the win.  CUI's long ball carried the day.

Critical Plays:  Feuerstein and Eilefson both doubled in the second for the 1-0 lead.  After Alyssa Yglesias reached to start the third, Foster followed with a bomb to make it 3-0.  Two CSUSM errors led to another CUI run in the third.  Gurney struck two out to leave a runner on second in the fifth.  The Cougars scratched their first run of the day across with one in the sixth.  Chavez got that right back with a towering shot to left.  A double from CSUSM in the seventh made it closer, 5-3. 

What it Means:  Concordia heads to Las Vegas 2-0 ready for some DII competition from all over the United States.

Up Next:  That slate starts with Central Washington tomorrow at 2 pm.  Live stats links are available at cuieagles.com.