LA MIRADA, Calif. – Entering the first PacWest Softball Conference Tournament since 2000, the top-seeded Concordia Golden Eagles coasted to a 7-1 win over No. 4 seed Hawaii Pacific in the opener for both teams in postseason play.
First Team All-PacWest third baseman
Jocelyn Pino started the scoring with a RBI single to plate fellow First Teamer
Sydney Sprinkle in the bottom of the first.
Second Team All-Conference selections
Rylie Rohr and
Shelby Pfeiler each hit a home run in the fifth inning to put CUI firmly in front 5-0. This came after Pfeiler had contributed a two-run double in the third inning as well.
Eight different starters contributed at least one hit for Concordia.
Missy Nemeth contributed two hits and
Mary Baccay added an insurance run with a RBI single in the sixth.
CUI also received superb work from starting pitcher
Daniela Alvarez in the circle. The recently named PacWest Newcomer of the Year tossed five shutout innings and only allowed three hits.
Cortney Koelmans entered for the final two frames and limited the Sharks to just one run to close out the 7-1 victory.
Ranked No. 1 in Wednesday's new NCAA DII regional rankings, Concordia will next face the winner of the Azusa Pacific-Biola game on the winner's side of the bracket Thursday morning at 11:00 a.m.
The double-elimination tournament hosted by Biola runs through Friday with the surviving school claiming the automatic bid to the NCAA DII West Regional Tournament next week.
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