IRVINE, Calif. - The ninth-ranked Concordia Golden Eagles earned two statement victories on the road Friday in the first half of their weekend matchup against Top 25 teams.
Facing No. 19 Cal State San Marcos down south, the Golden Eagles held on for a narrow victory before earning a shutout in game two.
A trio of pitchers delivered for head coach
Crystal Rosenthal's squad and the bats warmed up as the day continued. Ultimately CUI improved to 28-6 overall and stretched its winning streak to eight heading into this crucial block of games coming up in April.
Game 1: CUI 3, CSUSM 2
The pitching tandem of Dani Alvarez and
Callie Nunes combined for ten strikeouts and limited the Cougars to just two earned runs. Alvarez earned the victory by going 4.1 innings and did not walk a batter.Â
Nunes earned her second save of the year and gave up only two hits and one of those runs to help CUI walk the tightrope and hang on for a 3-2 win. Â
Kaia Nisby tied the game with a RBI single in the top of the second inning.
Jocelyn Pino provided a RBI single as well in the third to push the Golden Eagles in front by a count of 2-1.
In the fourth, 2022 PacWest Player of the Year
Megan Massa swung at the first pitch she saw and bounced a single up the middle to plate shortstop
Rylie Rohr and make it 3-1 CUI. That extra run would prove to be important as the Cougars scored once in the fifth but could not claw their way out entirely.
Game 2: CUI 6, CSUSM 0
In the rematch,
Katlin Entrup (10-2) was phenomenal in the circle and struck out nine batters on her way to locking up her sixth complete game of the season.Â
With the exception of the opening frame, she struck out at least one Cougar every inning.Â
First baseman
Missy Nemeth provided a RBI double in the second to make it 2-0 and later a RBI single in the seventh for some extra insurance.
Sydney Sprinkle also contributed a two-run double in the sixth. Meanwhile, Massa smacked a RBI triple in the seventh.
On deck, CUI hosts No. 23 Cal State Dominguez Hills on Saturday with a doubleheader beginning at 12 p.m. It's a rematch of last spring's NCAA DII West Regional Final.
The Golden Eagles will then make up their two rained out games with Holy Names on Monday, April 3 beginning at 11 a.m. on their home field as well.
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