IRVINE, Calif. – The Concordia offense came alive on Tuesday and a trio of pitchers helped the Golden Eagles secure a pair of home victories over Montana State Billings.
Rae Flores,
Cortney Koelmans and
Daniela Alvarez combined to allow only five runs in the circle.
Ranked nationally in the top 20 to start the season, No. 19 Concordia also saw a couple new faces connect for their first base hits while three returners cranked their first home runs of the season.
Meanwhile,
Mary Baccay,
Michalah Robison and
Sydney Sprinkle each contributed a team-high four hits over the course of the doubleheader.
Game 1: CUI 10, MSUB 2 (5 innings)
Left-hander
Rae Flores tossed a complete game and struck out six while allowing only two runs. A late solo home run was the only hit she allowed the entire outing.
Sydney Sprinkle went 3-for-3 and knocked in three runs. The senior bashed a two-run single in the third to stretch CUI's lead to 8-0.
Virginia Nemeth and
Bailey Pfeiler each collected their first career hits as Golden Eagles.
Baccay provided a pair of doubles and finished with four RBI in game one. The game ended with the eight-run mercy rule when
Madison Urrutia made contact at the plate and Baccay scored after a fielding error.
Game 2: CUI 9, MSUB 3
The Yellow Jackets stung the Golden Eagles for three runs in the top of the third inning after Koelmans cruised through the first part of the MSUB lineup.
The offense came alive though in the bottom of the fourth to tie up the game and turn the tables.
Missy Nemeth hoisted a two-run blast for Concordia's first home run of the young season. That came in the fourth to spark the home team.
In the fifth, Baccay sent a line drive over the left field wall to give the Golden Eagles a 6-3 advantage. Her three-run bomb was the first of her Concordia career and sent the dugout into a frenzy.
Moments later,
Rylie Rohr jumped on a pitch and deposited it deep over the trees on the outside part of the left field wall for a two-run homer.
The Golden Eagles improved to 7-1 overall after going 4-1 in this past weekend's Concordia Kickoff Classic.
CLICK HERE for a look back at the annual tournament hosted by CUI at Great Park
CUI hosts Northwest Nazarene on Wednesday, Feb. 8 at 3 p.m. and 5 p.m. before welcoming Colorado Christian and San Francisco State on Saturday and Sunday respectively. Both of those doubleheaders will begin at 12 p.m.
CLICK HERE for full CUI softball schedule
